Date:09/01/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/01/09/stories/2009010958831000.htm

Kerala - Kochi

Non-fiction, the latest craze for youth

G. Krishnakumar

Photo: H. Vibhu

THINKING YOUTH: No time for fiction. —

KOCHI: Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani’s Imagining India, Amartya Sen’s Argumentative Indian, Arundhati Roy’s Shape of the Beast, and Alice Schroeder’s The Snow Ball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life…

The appeal for non-fiction reading seems to be flourishing in the city going by the increasing number of students browsing through this kind of literary genre.

From the growing urge to embrace the management tips shelled by out by the who-is-who of the Indian IT industry to the undying search for a different voice, youngsters are ready to shift their reading habits in tune with the times.

Explains George Varghese, a B.Tech in Computer Engineering working with an IT firm in the city: “I was one among the many who picked up Nilekani’s book, Imagining India, on the release day. The book makes you think. It forces you to dwell on a wide range of topics including globalisation, India’s demographic advantage, the changing role of the entrepreneur and technology. The one nice thing about the book is that Nandan is not just re-collecting the Indian IT success story but is making us all think about the country’s future”.

Mr. Varghese is part of the growing tribe of youngsters in the city who want to read books that would encourage and inspire them to think and act differently.

Rohith Panicker, a B.Com student in the city, agrees: “I have the entire collection of books penned by Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam. I have not collected it just because his books are bestsellers, but for the fact that his books have the power to move generations. Why is it that children fail to recall the names of many of our politicians but get really excited on hearing the name of Dr. Kalam? It is simply because of the greatness of his thoughts and contributions to the country. His books are a must read for any Indian who would like to see his country prosper”.

Aishwarya Gopan, an MA English student, is a die-hard fan of Arundhati Roy’s writings. Describing Ms. Roy’s views, as ones that had always questioned conventional norms and the rot in the system, Aishwarya says that Shape of the Beast examines the nature of the state and corporate power during the last six to seven years. “The book also speaks eloquently about the resistance movements taking place across the country. Some of the topics that she has written include the genocide in Gujarat, Maoist rebels, the war in Kashmir and the global war on terror,” says Aishwarya.

Stating that non-fiction writing has its own charm, both Rohith and Arun pointed out that they do not want to remain in a make-believe world by going through fiction. “Non-fiction is live. It is truth. Moreover, it is contemporary. That makes the difference,” they say. Aishwarya stretches the argument by saying that the non-fiction genre has a narrative of its own. “It’s pace is real. It’s also exciting to read,” she adds.

Books on the global financial meltdown are also in good demand even though most of the orders are placed online by youngsters in the city. Roopesh Nair, who regularly updates his book shelf by purchasing online, says that he had already placed orders for The Snowball, the first authorised biography of billionaire Warren Buffett -- an investment guru whose company, Berkshire Hathaway, invested a total $8 billion in Goldman Sachs and General Electric Co. “It’s a bestseller,” he adds.