COLOMBO : For the past 26 years, the Colombo Book Fair has been held. Today, it has grown into the International Book Fair organized by the Sri Lanka Book Publishers Association (SLBPA) and has become an intellectual festival (Arivu Thiruvizhavu) in which lakhs (hundreds of thousands) of people participate daily. Many flock (throng) to buy thousands of books ranging from textbooks to literary works. It is an opportunity to get everything needed in one place, and with a discount (price reduction/discount).
At the same time, we have to express with sadness that Tamil language creators, Tamil publishers, and Tamil consumers (readers) have been subject to great discrimination (bias/prejudice) there for many years.
Furthermore, in such book fairs, there is an opportunity for bonding (connection) to occur between Tamil-speaking and Sinhala-speaking artists. Unfortunately, Tamil creators do not participate due to the lack of sufficient book stalls. A book fair where people come from all parts of the country. A joyful (happy) cultural event let it be.
We are making these requests so that this problem, which has continued for the past 26 years, does not continue further. All this time, this event should have been made a cultural gathering of Sri Lanka and a venue (field) for cultural exchange.
Approximately 8000 books are published annually in the Sinhala language. Fewer than 500 books are being published in Tamil. The market for Tamil books in the island of Sri Lanka is very small. Not only that, the situation continues where many books published here are printed in only 300 copies. There are also books printed in fewer copies than that. Even government public libraries do not buy indigenous (local) Tamil books. Very few can be mentioned as exceptions.
Many such Tamil writers have not earned (a livelihood) through books. Instead, the situation continues where they publish books with their own money.
In such a situation, due to the inability to spend extra on translation in the cost of book production, sufficient translation literature is not being published in Tamil. Even one organization to strengthen the tradition (parappu/field) of Tamil publishing, which continues with so many crises does not exist.
The Sri Lanka Book Publishers Association (SLBPA) is approaching 40 years since its inception. But so far, it has not taken sufficient care (concern/interest) to include (connect) Tamil publishers. Today, in this association which has 160 publishers as members, there are only one or two Tamil publishers. Not even one person belonging to the Tamil-speaking communities is among the seven people in its Board of Directors, or the eleven additional directors, or the six-person advisory committee. The association’s website and its publications also are only in English and Sinhala.
If people belonging to the Tamil-speaking Tamil and Muslim communities had been represented among the organizers, at least their voices would have resonated there. Shortcomings (deficiencies/complaints) could have been identified and rectified. Therefore, the situation continues where nothing can be done through this association as an organization to bring out the problems occurring in the Tamil publishing field.
At least if the SLBPA conducts the International Book Fair it organizes without discrimination a small relief will be afforded to the suffering (weakened/struggling) Tamil publishers.
- Tamil publishers should be included as members!
- The discrimination existing in everything should be removed, from obtaining suitable stalls at the book fair, allocating suitable spaces, obtaining stages for releases (launches), talks, etc., to Tamil announcements, advertisements, and facilities.
- Currently, not even one percent of the stalls in the fair are Tamil stalls.
- Guidance and advertisement placards should also be in Tamil so that Tamil readers can benefit.
should be structured/arranged. - The restriction (permission/permit) that is limited only to very large publishers should be changed.
- Instead, opportunities should be provided for small stall owners and a low fee collection system should be introduced for them.
- It should be taken into consideration that there are no publishers and distributors in the Tamil environment who have achieved growth equal to that of Sinhala publishers.
- Sufficient Tamil staff who can assist the Tamil-speaking people in obtaining their needs there should also be employed.
- An association bearing the name ‘Sri Lanka Publishers Association’ should
operate equally for both bilingual communities (Sinhala and Tamil). We believe that this association can change the situation where it is perceived externally as a Sinhala association. Even today, there is no organization in Sri Lanka to voice the special problems that Tamil publishers are facing. These things must change, at least now. File pix
For Contacts: Muhammad Sabri (Coordinator) – Mobile No. – 077 080 7787
