PUBLISHING NEXT @ GALF

Publishing Next in association with the Goa Art and Literature Festival is organizing a series of panel discussions on topics that concern the publishing industry in India. Established in 2011, Publishing Next has, over the years, organized annual conferences that include panel discussions, workshops, and masterclasses. It has been its effort to get the best practitioners in the Indian publishing industry to sit together and lay bare the problems and challenges faced by Indian publishers and allied service providers. These panel discussions, scheduled for 7th December 2018, at the International Centre, Goa, is another step in that direction.

Date : 7th DEC 2018

Venue: International Centre, Goa.
Time: 9:30am - 11.30am

PANEL DISCUSSIONS

To Tell or Not To Tell :

Dealing with the ‘difficult’ in books for young readers

(9:30am - 10:25am)

Books for teenagers being published today have begun to deal with difficult issues that affect them – abuse, relationships, sexual identity, caste, terrorism, violence, war… In a deeply patriarchal, conservative society such as ours, in which there is a deafening silence around these matters, and even taboos on discussing them in schools or within the family, it is traumatic for young people grappling with these issues. From this already alienating situation, they are thrown into the social media space which in many cases, can further overwhelm. Books that tackle difficult themes, imaginatively and sensitively can offer young people – and adults dealing with them – a meaningful space for reflection and discussion. Such books can empower them with the knowledge that they are not alone in their battles. Equally, they can encourage an empathetic understanding of the world. In a complex society like ours, how do we tell these stories? And how do we deal with the consequent challenges of publishing and reaching the books to wider audiences?

Indian Language Literature at the Global Table

(10:30am - 11:25am)

If recent successes like Ghachar Ghochar and One Part Woman are anything to go by, it seems like the world is receptive to Indian literature. One wonders, however, if there is still a missing piece that needs attention. The panel will discuss if Indian publishers are equipped to make the most of the opportunity that this interest in Indian literature presents, and what, if anything it will take for other Indian language books in translation to find a larger acceptance globally, and replicate these recent successes.