Of course, the effect Indian writers have on the UK is not the main reason for India being fêted at LBF. The subcontinent is one of the fastest growing publishing markets in the world, particularly for English-language books. For British publishers in 2007, the country was the 18th most important export market. The amount of English speakers is rising; some estimates put the number at 200 million Indians who regularly use English as their first or second language. As India’s population and economic muscle increases, its book market is certain to continue to grow.

On the academic side, British publishers have a long history in India. Oxford University Press has had an office there since 1912 and Macmillan since 1892. Other big Western academics—including Cambridge University Press, Reed Elsevier and Wiley—have been in the country for decades, many of them publishing locally. It makes sense: as much as 70% of the Indian market is academic and education titles.

It is easy to see why the trade publishers are finally investing: potential. India is the second largest country in the world by population with 1.14 billion people, a growing economy and a burgeoning middle class. Crucially for British publishers, there are those 200 million Indians who speak English as either a first or second language.

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The London Book Fair, which is focussing on India as an emerging market and literary hub this year, will take a look at not only English writing from the south Asian nation but also other vernacular languages, said Alistair Burtenshaw, group exhibition director of the event.

The April 20-22 fair will also introduce new Indian writers to publishers and sellers from 67 countries, said Burtenshaw, who was here Thursday to promote the event.

Nearly 50 leading Indian contemporary writers and an equal number of publishers and print industry stakeholders are taking part in the fair, which primarily caters to the needs of the publishing industry.

“The thrust is not just on writing in English from India, but also on the vernacular languages that have official seal but have not reached international standard,” Burtenshaw told IANS.

“For us, the cultural and linguistic diversity of the country which we are focussing on is very important. The fair will represent 16 of the 23 Indian official languages in terms of literature,” he said.

Works in many Indian languages will be presented at the fair. It will also have five literary sessions that will explore fiction writing in India, literature and identity, writing trends in contemporary India, literature of the cinema and literature of ideas.

Burtenshaw said over the last few years “great writing had been finding new home overseas, be it UK or elsewhere. It can be attributed to the internationalisation of literature. This year, publishers, booksellers and industry representatives from 67 countries will set up 117 counters to facilitate global exchange.”

In tandem with the focus of the fair, translations will play an important part.

“Growth in the translation segment has only been three percent – and that is one of the reasons why it is important. Three percent means you have a huge opportunity for higher growth. Indian books can be translated into several other languages, other than English,” Burtenshaw said.

As part of the fair’s efforts to promote translation, partner British Council will host a translation programme in India (in New Delhi and Kolkata) with Amanda Hopkinson of the East Anglia Translation Centre in Britain.

Source: http://bookwiseindia.blogspot.com

More than 45 leading Indian writers, translators, critics, academics and industry professionals will be coming to the London Book Fair, to take part in a varied programme of events based on themes of cultural and linguistic diversity, designed to enable better market understanding through contemporary literature between India and the UK. This is the first time such a wide variety of authors has been showcased in this way, and the event will bring together the largest representation of Indian writers ever assembled at a publishing trade show.

Writers including Javed Akhtar, Amit Chaudhuri, Namdeo Dhasal, Ramachandra Guha, Jaishree Misra, Daljit Nagra, Anita Nair, Bhalchandra Nemade, Nandan Nilekani, K Satchidanandan, Shankar, Vikram Seth and Pavan K Varma will take part in a series of ten seminars and readings at the Fair, as well as additional events in London and around the UK. These events will highlight the richness and diversity of contemporary Indian literature, with over 15 Indian languages represented across a total of 40 events.

The British Council is hosting the following seminars:

- Imagining India: the world of fiction

- Home and the world

- Literature of identity

- Literature of conflict

- India writes

- India translated

- Literature of the cinema

- Bestsellers and popular writing

- Literature of ideas

- Battle for the Indian reader

Susie Nicklin, Director Literature, British Council, said: “Many people in the UK feel they know India and her writers, which is not surprising given their justified success in this country; many readers in India feel they are au fait with British contemporary literature. In fact, all of us will benefit hugely from this opportunity – a major part of an ongoing British Council programme – to discover more about each other’s literary cultures and societies.”