The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : New books at old prices

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 22, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

New books at old prices

Bageshree S.

At the National Book Trust you can pick up a book for Rs. 6

Bangalore: National Book Trust (NBT) has a rare distinction that no other publication can boast: you can walk into their outlet or exhibition and pick up a book for six or seven rupees. Improving quality in keeping with the current market demands, even while ensuring that prices remain way below what prevails in the market is the challenge before NBT as it celebrates the golden jubilee of its inception. “The publication wing of NBT is not in the red. It proves that if you make a good product the market takes care itself,” says its director Nuzhat Hassan, who was in Bangalore for a seminar organised to mark the completion of 50 years. “What is a market, after all? It is not just Harry Potter.”

NBT’s unique strength lies in its network across Indian languages and the organisation is trying to tap this potential. “Consider, for instance, a children’s book on elephants we have published. We had the book written in Assamese first and then had it translated into English and other languages. A child would rather read about an elephant in Kaziranga rather than an elephant in a zoo written by someone sitting in a city,” argues Ms. Hassan. NBT publishes books in 32 Indian languages.

NBT is also doing market surveys of a very different kind. “We tested our series for neo-literates with our readers. We learnt that people want to read very different things than we assume they do. We can’t be writing about sewing machines when they want to read about mobile phones.” Such feedback has helped NBT reorient itself. “It’s true of children as well. Children do not like didactic stuff. You need to write things that stretch their imagination.”

The organisation is taking stock of its own priorities as it completes 50 years, raising questions on content and marketing in a global economy of glitzy books. NBT will also be bringing out 50 collections of short stories, poems and plays in 23 Indian languages to mark the milestone.

The National Book Trust outlet is in the BDA Shopping Complex, Banashankari II Stage.

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