“Every year, nearly 9,000 Kannada books are published. However, owing to the impact of commercialisation, quality takes a backseat,” senior literary critic Giraddi Govindaraj said.
Speaking at the valedictory ceremony of a two-day workshop for publishers, jointly organised by the North Karnataka Women Writer’s Association and Kannada Book Authority (KBA) here on Sunday, Mr. Govindaraj said that despite tremendous growth in the Kannada publication industry, books available in the market were not meeting readers’ needs.
Dependence on money
“The problem of publishers excessively focusing on monetary gains is another factor that has hit quality. Besides safeguarding commercial interests, the publishers have to focus ensure quality through careful analysis and selections of drafts. The publication industry has witnessed radical changes after women ventured into it. The government and KBA should come forward with promotional schemes for women publishers in Kannada,” Mr. Govindaraj said.
The association president Hema Pattanshetti and others were present. Participating writers Poornima and Madhavi Doddamani shared their views at the workshop.
