Indian authors outsell foreign ones

RANCHI: "Who has the patience to read philosophies by Ayn Ranc and Albert Campus after attending the exhaustive lectures? I prefer light reading, something that can be easily grasped and is connected with real life", said Anisha, a student of graduation at Ranchi Women's College.
Not just Anisha, most college goers, nowadays, prefer reading something they can connect to and costs less.Mudit, a student of St. Xavier's College said, "I read books that come for Rs 100, authored by the young Indian writers. They are cheap and when I read those books I feel like I am reading my life story."
The craze for reading contemporary Indian authors started after the popularity of Chetan Bhagat, says Manish, a book store owner. "Chetan Bhagat brought about a revolution in the world of readers. Before 'One Night at the Call Centre' and 'Five Point Someone' people preferred foreign authors but after Bhagat's success, Indian authors are in demand," said Manish.
Books with funny or witty titles always manage to attract reader's attentions. In a recent book fair youngsters were seen crowding around book stalls displaying books with titles like 'May I Hebb Your Attention Pliss', 'I Had a Crush on You Until You Said You Love Me' and 'Bombay Duck is a Fish'.
Media manager of the book fair, Sushant Pandey said "The books from Indian authors were in demand among college goers. I think students find it affordable to spend Rs 100 on a 'desi' book instead of spending more than Rs.300 on a book by a foreign author."
However, schoolchildren have a different choice. Girls are more into reading foreign authors like Sophie Kinsella and Meg Cabot. Tripti, a student of Delhi Public School said, "My all time favourite is 'Princess Diaries' but I also like 'The Twenties Girl' and 'Confessions of a Shopaholic'."
Be it Indian authors or foreign, youngsters prefer light-hearted reads, fun novels. Nevertheless, not all belong to the same school of thought.
"The books these kids read are neither literature nor thriller, it is more like watching TV where you don't have to apply your brains. They will never be able to enjoy books by the authors like Jane Austen or Mario Puzo", said Poonam Singh with a hint of pity in her voice.