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Commercialization of Bengali Literature: mercenary writers and publishers

Rashid Askari
Although there rage furious debates as to when precisely the golden age of Bengali literature was, one thing is sure: Contemporary Bengali literature is at its farthest point from it. We don't really know how we may symbolize this stage of our literature! With our printing media coming under the powerful influence of its electronic cousin, pieces of classic Bengali literature are surviving on the whims of electronic media and thereby fall prey to indiscriminate dissection at the hands of second-and third-rate serial soap opera makers. While it may be saving them from sinking into oblivion, it is at the cost of distortion. Increasing public interest in audio visual media has given rise to serious misunderstandings about the consequence on our poor literature. The existence of Bibhutibhushan s Pather Panchali or Tagore's Ghare Baire owes more to the celluloid versions of Satyajit Ray than the old printed texts which are only gathering dust on the library shelves. These classic books are reportedly reaching wider audience by turning into films.
As a matter of fact, people are by and large losing interest in the act of reading itself. It appears as if reading is a wearying task. Back at home after a long day's work, readers, tired and exhausted, tend to fall back upon the electronic media for easy and effortless entertainment. The tendency towards reading merely to sit for examinations or for getting good results may be unabated, but the habit of reading for the pleasure of it is alarmingly on the wane. It is a big hurdle standing in the way of literary pursuits.
On top of these hard times for Bengali literature, the ghost of commercialization has befallen it as a trouble on a trouble. Prompted by mercantile interests, some authors and publishers are jointly doing a roaring business in literature and fiction'. Books with high demand and high supply have a greater market value and are considered as valuable books. They and their authors are deemed to be 7>opular. Authors whose books sell well are in great demand. The larger the sales figures, the more well-known the author. The occasional book fairs turn into seller s market for books by those big' writers. The publishers are investing heavily in this 'literary merchandising. They kneel in supplication to those popular authors by giving them colossal advances against royalties. The book is advertised as a marvelous read. But the said great' author may have not yet even have conceived of it, or thought of writing it. So what? That is besides the point, not worth caring about. One such writer is a superstar who is possessed of light speed when it comes to creative' writing. Any fine day he's capable of stepping into the luxury suite of a five-star hotel and whip up with no effort at all a complete manuscript. Miracles still happen! Some of our writers have beaten records by writing full-length novels overnight. Books are produced sharply on deadlines with appropriately colorful dust-jackets. To be followed by marketing and branding' of products. Books then go on sale, accompanied to the fanfare of post-publication advertisements in newspapers and televisions. Sales shoot up. Business is brisk thriving. Both the author and publisher make a quick profit, and calculate future such attempts based on a similar formula. Thus are bonds secured between an author's creative ability and the publisher's willingness to provide financial support. These authors are the ones with a proven track record of producing highly saleable commodities. They have learnt what the market wants, have mastered the craft of being able to quickly dash off a manuscript's, and have long back sold their soul to Mammon and learnt to sacrifice real literary values and moral considerations on the altar of profit. Bengali 'literature' currently is in a dreadful state of exploitative commercialization.
What do these commercial authors contribute to our literature? Delicious trash! The more hack work the better! They are writing tacky novels, tawdry stories and dirty doggerels which cater to popular taste and bring the authors cheap popularity. So the authors are very careful to cater to their reader's feelings. Things that readers are fond of on no account must be overlooked. The likes and dislikes of the readers, their conventions, stereotypes and biases are carefully manufactured and nurtured by these authors. The audience s literary taste has thus been held manipulated, and held hostage by such authorial gimmicks and tricks, and the former have learnt to dance puppet-like to the tune their favorite authors. This literature is similar to the pulp literature which began to appear in the West (the 'penny romances and the dime novels') during the First World War and remained popular in the 1930s. Pulp literature was what Aldous Huxley memorably termed as "inconceivable twaddle". However popular it may prove to be in the short run, it could not survive over the long term due to the absence of true literary essence.
This is the present condition of our Bengali literature, which is in a very sorry state. This can be called commercial literature, growing amongst a circle of mercenary authors and publishers. This sort of literature is intended for profit only, without regard to quality. Although it may taste sweet, it is not worthy of being served at the same table with quality literature. It is 'disposable literature' for, to be read once and tossed away. We return to it a second time only at gunpoint.
Since this stream of literature is gaining the upper hand, the flow of true literature is waning rapidly. The soft glow of genuine art is being overshadowed by the dazzling neon lights of the fakers and imposters. Due to lack of financial support creative writing in Bengali is not being stimulated. If anybody does comes forward with a genuine work of
fiction, he will not find a publisher. If he publishes the book by himself he will not survive the cutthroat competition with the get-rich-quick writers, the publishing establishment and their high-selling junk. Which is the outwardly unimpressive books of helpless writers are failing to catch the readers' attention and are falling headlong into the ditch of monetary loss. Naturally they feel demoralized and do not want to write any more. Nor does any publisher want to take risks with these writers and their books. The publishers also show scant interest in publishing the books of new authors’ books which in turn discourages the advent of fresh talent.
Small wonder that some good writers who earn their bread and butter by writing are also turning to commercial works. If the readers do not buy their books, their livelihood is threatened. They have become alive to the possible dangers of unpopularity and are trimming their sails accordingly. Therefore, they too have applied themselves to keeping their readers well supplied with what can be called 'delicious' literature. The
more the demand grows, the more supply increases and the busier the market gets. On the basis of demand, the supply is primed and the price is fixed. From this vantage point, this sort of literature may also be called 'open market literature'. Literature capable of meeting the needs of market is surviving and the one failing to do it is getting extinct. Since the basic structure of the society is founded on a capitalist economy, 'open market literature' has grown as an offshoot of what we call 'open market economy' which is born of the capitalist economy. This is how, commercial literature, its unprincipled practitioners and mercenary allies grow in the dumping ground of vulgar capitalism. Nirad C. Chaudhuri put it best when he wrote that "Heedless to their own tastes the goat-authors write and continue to write what the readers want to read... writing can be said to be the profession of the goat-writers" [Amar Devettor Sampatti]. The primary objective of their writing is profit.
Bengali literature today is very badly damaged by these “goat-authors". To fulfill the limitless demands of the open market, these writers are tirelessly producing tons of trashy literature and general readers are being made to swallow this with much lip-smacking relish. This is literary exploitation, very crafty and cunning. The tools of this exploitation are the commercial authors and their unscrupulous publishers, both shaping and reacting to popular tastes. The prospect of an ensuing plague is looming large.
How can we combat this literary plague? This calls for a large-scale revolution in our literature. It should be time for an awakening, for an awareness which may lead to an upsurge among the writers, the readers, and the lovers of art and literature for a radical change. The consciousness emanating from this rude awakening will help develop creative writers and sensibility and artistic bent for the readers. This may also help separate the sheep from the goats and rid true literature of the false one. We ought to give a pitiless farewell to this fake literature and a warm welcome to the true one. Although it is easier said than done, it is not impossible.
Rashid Askari is professor of English, Islamic University. Kushtia.