Towards a READING CULTURE?

"It's true that people come to entertain themselves, to look around, to meet up with friends, and to have a koththu-rotie. This is not only a book fair, but also a cultural event accompanied with street theatre, lectures, discussions, singing, dancing and many other events" commented Sam and Ameena Hussein of the PH Publishing House in a short conversation with Spectrum during the recently concluded Colombo International Book Fair 2009. The PH publishers added that there was a significant growth in sales compared to the previous years.

The annual Colombo International Book Fair organised by the Sri Lanka Publishing Association was held for the 11th consecutive year at the BMICH during September 2009. The event was spread across nine days, and the success of it can be gauged by the massive amount of participants from all over the nation. Responding to my question whether this increased participation was a sign of a rising reading-culture, or whether it was just part of the current "trend", Ameena Hussein answered with "I think the people who have come to our stall are true booklovers. Because people who would only want to buy books in order to showcase them wouldn't bother to come when they see the amount of people, the queues, and the traffic here. So I would say that the ones who do come are true booklovers". In response to the same question, a school teacher who had accompanied some of her students to the event replied with "It's true that there is a group who simply come here and participate in other cultural and literary events in order to exhibit themselves as "readers" and active members of the so-called "literary society". But I think that is only a handful of people from Colombo. But the people gathered here today definitely have a genuine interest in reading."
Referring to the sales factor, Nishantha from the stall of the Government Information Department and Publication Bureau, and members of several other publication institutions stated that their sales seemed to be on the rise this year. It was indeed very encouraging to witness thousands of school children from all over the country streaming into the Book Fair. However, the majority of this crowd was inclined to purchase text books and exam-oriented material, which are directly related to their studies. photograph5Commenting on this factor, Ameena Hussein stated, "I think the stalls are doing fabulously well and I'm very happy about that." The significant growth of sales in 2009 is noteworthy. As Sam Hussein added, the end of the war may partly explain this increased interest in participating in events such as the Book Fair. "Besides, what I noticed is that people are spending sensibly. They come with lists and compare prices across stalls to see if they can get the best bargains" added Ameena.
So does increased interest in events such as the International Book Fair signal the dawn of a reading culture in Sri Lanka which will contribute to the sustainable development of a once war ravaged country? It was indeed very encouraging to witness thousands of school children from all over the country streaming into the Book Fair. However, the majority of this crowd was inclined to purchase text books and exam-oriented material, which are directly related to their studies. This is an observation which indicates the highly competitive nature of examinations, and students' inability to engage in forms of knowledge outside their curriculum due to time constraints and the existing amount of school work. Speaking on this aspect, Ameena Hussein stated "I studied English literature during school. We had textbooks. But that didn't mean I had to read only those prescribed texts, and that I didn't read any other books. I was constantly reading. So I feel sad about the fact that kids nowadays do not read outside what they are compelled to read. When these students become teachers themselves one day and begin to teach, they will realise that they have only a very limited understanding of the subject"."

Thus, one begins to wonder about the quality and nature of the reading culture in Sri Lanka. Are there any measures taken to strengthen and proliferate the reading culture in our country beyond a nine-day Book Fair? I do not intend to undermine the value of this nine-day effort, which was a grand event that managed to attract close to a million people. But I wish to highlight the need for policy-level changes in order to direct students towards a reading culture beyond mere exam-oriented reading. If the masses that gathered at the BMICH during the Book Fair were not really interested in the reading culture per se, what measures could be and should be taken to make reading an integral part of the lives of the next generation? Do we have answers to such crucial questions? Or will we continue to merely tout and celebrate the 2010 International Book Fair in a similar fashion, harbouring hopes of a Reading Future, which is consistently deferred due to the lack of proactive policy changes?
Nilanga Abeysinghe is a counsellor and a researcher in psychology. A graduate from the University of Peradeniya, he was a Commonwealth Scholar to the University of Worcester, UK, where he obtained a MSc in Psychology.
