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Susanna Nicklin, Director of Literature, British Council, was in New Delhi recently. SANGEETA BAROOAH PISHAROTY caught up with her
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There are now literary hours in schools in Britain. A kid now needs to spend at least an hour a day with a book in school
PHOTO: S. SUBRAMANIUM
CHECKING OUT Susanna Nicklin met various publishers and writers' groups for a general understanding of the literary trends in India
Having enjoyed the hilarious Adrian Mole series, your ears obviously perk up at the mention of the name Sue Townsend. This wizard of an authoress invented for her readers some of the most incredible situations and witty lines.
Sensing your wish to learn more about the author, Susanna Nicklin, who was looking after the translation rights of Townsend's books till she took up the job of Director of Literature at the British Council in London, was more than willing to talk about her on a recent visit to the Capital.
"I hope you know, she is almost blind now. . Sue still lives in Worcestershire. Unlike her novels, she is a very dry person though quite witty in her replies. But the best part about Sue is, she is such a down-to-earth person. Her feet are always on the ground."
And not just Townsend, Susanna, as an international literary agent specialising in translation rights, was crossing continents to sell the translated versions of a few other well-known names of the literary world such as Vikram Seth, Kate Atkinson, Fay Weldon and Arundhati Roy.
Not just about authors, she gave a quick round up on what sells where.
"For instance, America. Religious books can easily be sold there. In Britain, you can sell any number of books on celebrities. But it is not the case in Germany. Germans like to read big, meaty novels and management-related books," said the former director of the writers' association, PEN.
Susanna gave credit for bringing her to India to the bustling literary scene here. With British Council having a lot of literary activities round the year, her trip to India was to "get a grip on things". "I met various publishers and writers' groups for a general understanding of the literary trends here. I also had a meeting with some women who are into publishing and visited a few bookshops around the city. But I must say it is a thriving and busy publishing industry," she said, admitting, "I am quite new to the organisation, I need to know a few things." Susanna took up her job with the Council last October.
Reader Development
On the reading culture in the U.K., she spoke of a successful government-backed initiative called Reader Development. "There are now literary hours in schools. A kid now needs to spend at least an hour a day with a book in school."
Literary festivals
She also mentioned literary festivals as a factor in the growth of the British publishing industry. "There is a huge explosion of literary festivals in the U.K. now. It is a big business for the publishing industry."
About the popularity of bookshops, she felt, "Gone are the days when you just opened a bookstore and waited for customers to walk in. You need to give them something extra. Also, the location of a bookstore has become very important."
Mentioning a small chain of bookshops in London called Daunts, she said, "It is well placed and it not just organises regular literature-related sessions but has put up the stacks country-wise. So, before I started for India, I went there to look for books about India. It makes things so easy for customers like me." Till some years ago, barring a few titles, Indian books would have not been so easily found in Britain, but Susanna pointed out, "There is a general interest in Indian books in Britain today."
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