SHILLONG, OCT 11: Readers in Shillong are showing an appetite for books by Japanese authors. Several stalls at the 2nd edition of the Shillong Book Fair said visitors are looking for titles by Japanese novelists.
Sipon Mistri, who was manning the Pan MacMillan India stall, said books authored by Sanaka Hiiragi, Mieko Kawakami, Toshikazu Kawaguchi and Sosuke Natsukawa, among others, have seen good sales.
“We sold several copies of BTS’s Beyond The Story last year. This time Japanese authors are finding a top place. Even this book is quite popular,” said Mistri, showing a copy of A Little Life by American author Hanya Yanagihara, who is partly of Japanese descent.
Besides Japanese novels, books on Japanese culture and ways of life have been popular here. Sujit Singh of the National Book Agency said Ikigai: Japanese Secret to Long and Happy Life and Wabi Sabi: Japanese Wisdom for a Perfectly Imperfect Life have been in demand at the book fair.
One of the most popular Japanese authors Haruki Murakami has his fan following. Abhijit Dey of Shillong-based Cambridge Book Depot said he got two packages of books by Murakami and other popular Southeast Asian authors and “I sold them on the same day”.
“Only a few copies of Murakami’s books are left. He is always in demand. Readers often come to my shop asking for his novels,” said Dey.
Kati Naro, a college-goer, said she bought Ikigai and Murakami’s Norwegian Wood. “I read books by Japanese authors and Murakami is one of my favourites. I also explore books by other Southeast Asian authors,” she said.
Renowned author Anjum Hasan, who was at the book fair on 10 October, 2024, said Japanese and Korean books are a big thing even in metro cities. “I too have started reading Japanese fiction… I gave my mother a couple of Korean novels, and she loved them,” said Hasan.
On why the Japanese authors have suddenly found a huge readership in India, Hasan said many Japanese writers were widely read earlier, but “they were discovered by the American press first and then the rest of the English-speaking world. So, we are simply following a wave that happened in the West,” she added.
While an array of books at the fair offered stories and anecdotes from around the world, the children’s corner organised a story-telling session on Day 6 of the Shillong Book Fair, organised by the National Book Trust under the Ministry of Education. A poster-making competition and an orientation session on Rashtriya e-Pustakalaya kept the young minds active.
The evening came alive with a Jaintia dance performance and Ahaia band music.
On 11 October, visitors can attend a session on Hindi Literature and Language Binds: Poetry Recital. The evening will see a flute recital by Benedict Hynniewta followed by a performance by Colors band.
