50 Years of Book Publishing in India Since Independence

This volume is an extensive and analytical survey of the panorama of publishing in the eighteen Indian languages including English. It seeks to establish the extent and vibrancy of the publishing scene in the Indian subcontinent. Part one of the volume contains chapters on the eighteen languages contained in the Eighth schedule of the Constitution. The Chapters have been written by eminent writers who are experts in the field. They encompasse the story of the evolution of publishing in each language, presenting a sweep of work done, not only in the fifty years after Independence but also present an overview of the tasks accomplished in the fifty years prior to Independence. It assimilates the struggle, the strife and the triumph of the Indian publishers who have waged many a battle, forded much turbulent waters to emerge victorious today. It is not to say that we have reached an ideal state in publishing. Many a milestone needs to be crossed. Here it would not be untoward to quote the words of Robert Frost, dear to Jawaharlal Nehru. “But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep”. Part two of this book forms a synthesis of ideas expressed by eminent men of letters concerning not only the various technical aspects of book publishing, but also throw light on the socio-cultural perspectives of books, the multifaceted fields of publishing carried out in the country and talk about the role played by the Federation of Indian Publishers as a national platform for Indian publishing. It also records the global views on the Indian publishing scene expressed by an international authority being the Secretary General of the International Publishers’ Association.