SUNDAY 7 OCTOBER 2012 | PAGES 8

Vontari Nakshatram, Meghamala, Secretary, Vennello Aadapilla the 70s and 80s marked the golden period of popular Telugu fiction. However, slowly and steadily, the readership for Telugu fiction started to decline and reached its nadir in the early 90s. With barely a handful of writers dabbling in the genre and fewer still managing to publish their books, Telugu modern literature is in dire need of popular fiction which can attract new generation of readers
ARUNA RAVIKUMAR he stands in book stores across Andhra Pradesh still sell copies of popular fiction by writers of yesteryears with the newer crop of writers failing to capture the imagination and reflect the aspirations of a techno savvy generation ever on the threshold of fast and exciting changes. Blogs, joint venture novels with the book completed by two authors from different parts of the world and books which reflect career dreams and talk of instant results are at the helm. Rapid urbanisation and software jobs have ensured that there is no room for the kind of creativity that was reflected till the end of the nineties in the form of popular writing. While it cannot be said that reading habits have come down in a generation used to monotony and a lack of creative environment, there is no excitement or trend setting writing that is followed avidly. The great euphoria that was seen with avid readers being hooked to reading their favorite authors well marked in the 1970s and 80s is now a thing of the past as evident from publishing trends. With the focus shifting to spiritual, self help and personality development books some of the hitherto popular novelists have also adapted to market trends. Those who could not adapt have stopped writing altogether. Does this spell doom for popular fiction? Are todays book lovers deprived of the excitement and enthusiasm with which readers waited for the books of their favourite authors? Emecso, a leading publishing house in the state ,was one of the first to tap the potential of the market for books other than novels. Says Emescos Vijayakumar In keeping with the countywide trend we started looking at other genres of writing. Andhra Pradesh has never been a major market for short stories and all our demand for popular fiction is from popular writers of yesteryears with our sister concern Sahiti reprinting around 500 novels in the last three years. We met with phenomenal success when we printed books on the Vedas in 2000 where I had to take on pre-publication orders. Similarly personality development books like those written by B.V.Pattabhiram are a rage. Publishers who have not explored the market potential for these new genres have disappeared because sales from novels are still from re-prints of old books he says. With reading habits on the decline and television attracting a large viewership among house wives, the growing number of working women and the newer social media, there are fewer takers for popular fiction, in general. Although online pub-

Akshara Book Store, Hyderabad,

Pic: Ravi Giragani

lishing offers opportunities for new authors getting their works published, there is no market and it is still the old works that get sold on and off. We still sell about 2000 copies of Yandamoori Veerendranaths novels in a year but novels are no longer hot cakes. Books selling life skills, interpretation of spiritual values and the likes are more in demand in todays stress ridden world says Ravi of Nava Sahiti publishing house, Vijayawada. Dont be pushed by your problems, be led by your dreams is the guiding principle of popular fiction writers who set out selling dreams between pages of print that offer an escape from the mundane and inescapable realities of life. While genre fiction or popular fiction is a term for works written with the intent of fitting into a particular genre familiar with the readers: Pulp fiction on the other hand refers to fantastic

many others, an era where dreams were sold was experienced in real terms with the advent of writers like Koduri Kousalya Devi and Yaddanapoodi Sulochana Rani with the latter becoming a rage among female readers. Yaddanapoodi Sulochana Ranis novels had the right kind of romance that many middle class women of all ages lapped up with enthusiasm, waiting with expectation for the next dream to unfold. The stories usually revolved around a rich, handsome spoilt millionaire who loses his heart to the self respecting heroine who spurns his overtures and bowls him over through various twists and turns. These feel good romances with sparring pairs ultimately united in love were like the Mills & Boon books that had committed readers who reveled in the happy endings. This was in contrast to the realistic and stark tales of exploitation, misdeeds of feudal lords and gory tales

e have no popular magazines these days and readers of popular fiction have shifted to television. In the changing social milieu, readers have no time to read books to while away their time. They want books that offer some life changing inspiration which is lacking - Volga
pense and thrill. There are other characters like Gangaram, Srikar, Bindu and Captain Venu who capture the imagination of readers and this prolific writer has some 123 detective novels apart from general novels and writings to his credit. Khatamaipoyadu Khadir Basha(Khadir Basha has been eliminated) is a famous one liner from Madhu babus works that Yandamoori recalls. There are many such one liners like this which are popular in movies today. Madhu Babus books are an easy read like a James Hardley Chase novel, take you through different geographical zones and can be read non-stop within an hour he says. Anil Atluri of Kinige.com, the e-book site that has a good number of these books, also vouches for the popularity of books of this genre and the Yandamoori kind of novels. Anil also feels that a canard is being spread that there is no demand for fiction in Telugu. There is no dearth of talent in Telugu and readers are there but somehow the lacuna in the distribution network has made it difficult for the end user ben-

as many writers do not even recover the amount spent on publishing. There is no dearth of serious readers in our state. Those who read popular fiction shift to Television and films following the moves of their authors. However serious readers look for subjects that set them thinking and are different from the routine. Unlike Kerala and Tamilnadu where writing is remunerative and where popular magazines pay a good remuneration to the authors, Andhra Pradesh presents a dismal scene. We need a proper link and support from publishers which is totally lacking he says.

Shift to television
unrivalled fan base with many of his books being like Tulasi and Tulasi dalam being read by readers even in bus stops and other public places. The exorcist kind of works and subjects different from the normal romance and family dramas and writing that balanced family centric themes with social concerns came like a whiff of fresh breeze that swept many readers off their feet. His name spelt success and he had a loyal, dependable readership almost akin to a captivated audience watching their favorite heros film. Yandamoori Veerendranath feels writers who chose serious subjects have always injected pessimism in society through themes that were full of masochism and melancholy. Their themes on the stark realities and gory tales of exploitation may have won critical acclaim but not a popular readership as the average reader wants a slice of utopia and dreams to motivate him. Since all that is now available on television, the focus has shifted with a larger viewership and fan base. The never ending serials of television have replaced the novel he says. Dr.Mukthevi Bharathi, a retired lecturer and writer concurs with Yandamooris views. She, however, feels that for a society in transition like ours newer subjects like changing inter-personal relationships, live in relationships, nuclear families and social media have to be taken as subject material. Feminist writings may have tackled some of these issues, but they are still very aggressive and often present only one side of the problem. If these issues are not addressed it is difficult to wean away people glued to the small screen and it could spell doom for contemporary novels she says. Sailing smoothly through the maze of shifting readers and the increasing influence of television is writer Valluri Madhusudana Rao popular as Shadow Madhu Babu whose books can be seen in various book stores and as e-books. The detective Shadow has left an indelible impression on readers whose adrenalin flows with subjects that have a mix of susVolga, a popular feminist writer who has been publishing her own books, however, has a steady readership with many of her books going for re-prints over the years. Her novels and books deal with serious issues that women identify with and have sustained readability because they are contemporary. We have no popular magazines these days and readers of popular fiction have shifted to television. In the changing social milieu readers have no time to read book to while away their time. They want books that offer some life changing inspiration which is lacking. There is no proper marketing link and there seems to be a major gap between publishers, readers and writers. Reading has not come down but writers have failed to give that extra something to create an interest in the readers she avers. Women who constitute a large chunk of popular readers have now shifted to the small screen creating a major dent with a lot of women who used to read popular magazines and novels shifting their loyalties, says writer Kuppili Padma. English medium education, more jobs for women and a general shift towards the idiot box

nglish medium education, more jobs for women and a general shift towards the idiot box have resulted in fewer readers. The distribution system in the market is also less profitable for self publishing serious writers who always have had their small share of serious readers - Kuppili Padma
escapist fiction for the general entertainment of mass readers. The term which originated from the use of cheap pulp paper used in the beginning of the 20th century however stuck on, with the connotation slowly changing to works involving larger than life heroes, pretty girls, exotic locales and strong and mysterious villains to complete the story. bordering on masochism that were meant for more serious readers reflecting the social milieu in which the writers lived. Coming at a time when there was no television, the number of working women was much lesser than what it is today and family dramas still riveted public attention these books scaled popularity charts with many of them being made into successful feature films. The reclusive writer Yaddanapoodi has however not written any books for a long time now, shies away from the media and barely attends any literary events. Sulochana Ranis supremacy was challenged when a weekly magazine started promoting a group of new writers who chose unconventional subjects and styles which outraged many purists but gained popularity among the readers. Of those who made their entry during this time, Malladi Venkata Krishna Murthy and Yandamoori Veerendranath are the only two writers who have adapted to the changing trends successfully. These writers too had films that were based on their work. Some of their contemporaries write occasionally, while some have altogether disappeared from the literary horizon. Yandamoori Veerendranath emerged as one of the most popular novelists with an

Golden age of Telugu fiction

Beginning with the 60s and 70s and going well in to the next decade, fiction in Telugu bordered between the pulp and popular kind of writing with an incredibly large number of readers and writers being female. There are instances in the 1950s and 60s where Telugu women writers took the world of fiction by storm and dictated terms to publishers and magazine editors. In what could be deemed an upper hand in the gender struggle they are said to have been paid twice as much as their male counter parts. Puranam Sita and Lalladevi to name a few are feminine pen names used by some male writers who cashed in on this phenomenon during this time. While there were popular writers like Latha, Malathi Chendur, Ranganayakamma, , Madireddy Sulochana, Polkampalli Santha Devi and

heir themes on the stark realities and gory tales of exploitation may have won critical acclaim but not popular readership as the average reader wants a slice of utopia and dreams to motivate him. Since all that is now available on television, the focus has shifted to small screen. - Yandamoori Veerendranath
efitting from these books. I see a transition happening and am optimistic that things are changing for the better based on the demand for Telugu books says this ardent lover of Telugu literature. Anil also feels that the shift from fiction to other kinds of reading is confined to a few sections of society and cannot be broad based. We find people going in for fiction, poetry and plays and are not interested in spiritual and religious books and our readers are spread across different places as varied as Amudalavalasa and America he adds. Many writers like Malladi Venkata Krishna Murthy have their own publishing houses but unless a book is published every three months and does a reasonably good business it does not make profits. Fiction writers like Peddinti Ashok kumar also publish their own books which they say are fraught with great risks have resulted in fewer readers. The distribution system in the market is also less profitable for self publishing serious writers who always have had their small share of serious readers Padma feels. Spiritual and self help books have a market due to the stress levels induced by a society in the throes of change. With the mushrooming of newspapers and tabloids and soaps on television cutting into their profits its not surprising that the few who find solace in having their imagination kindled by words still pick up their old favorites from bookshelves or read them on their kindles and i-pads. In the new age market place, the novel is struggling for survival and is still there on the support of the ventilator called nostalgia. The need of the hour is a new breed of writers with contemporary subjects and life changing ideas and publishing that can leave an imprint on the readers.