Be it online or offline–readership definitely increased

Writer and journalist Salah Uddin Mahmud's book of essays 'Bangla Sahitte shilpaprabanata' and two books of children's literature have been published in this year's Amar Ekhshey Book Fair. According to him, children-fiction writers are now stuck between ghosts and fairies and constructive criticism is very important for literature. View Bangladesh sub-editor Mahfuz Sardar talked to him about such various issues.

Views Bangladesh: What books have been published in this year's book fair and how many books have been published so far?
Salah Uddin Mahmud: In this year's book fair, three of my books have been published. The book titled "Bangla Sahitya Shilpoprobonota" (Artistic Tendencies in Bengali Literature) has been published by Kingbondi Publications. The children's book named "Swadhinoter Golpo" (Stories of Independence) has been published by Kidz Caravan. The book titled "Chotoder Soi Hrithu" (Six Seasons for Children) featuring nature-based essays has been published by Dolon Publications. A total of 14 books of mine have been published from 2017 until now.

Views Bangladesh: What is the reason that you have concentrated on writing poems and stories as well as essays?
Salah Uddin Mahmud: I am actually striving to work in all branches of Bengali literature. I am simultaneously practicing poetry, short stories, novels, articles, stage plays, children's literature, research, and literary criticism. To explain the reason, I am trying to write in all subjects. Perhaps it is a divine ability. Not only that, I am also involved in recitation and acting. I am trying to learn by writing.

Views Bangladesh: Do you have any thoughts on essay literature?
Salah Uddin Mahmud: The genre of essay literature is gradually weakening day by day. Due to the advancement of technology, information and references can easily be found with a simple Google search. As a result, many writers are effortlessly creating new essays by gathering information from a few articles written by others. Consequently, there is a shortage of essays on new and diverse topics. It requires a lot of effort to write an essay on a new subject. Time must be dedicated to collecting information and verifying its accuracy. It seems that this is now diminishing. For example, to write an essay on the character of a housemaid in Humayun Ahmed's plays, I had to watch forty plays. I had to observe the character's dialogue, description, and traits. The fact that nobody has written on this topic before compelled me to make this effort. Therefore, it is imperative to write essays on new topics. Everyone is now creating essays based on the same old topics. We are stuck with personalities like Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam. Hence, contemporary essays demand novelty and innovation to reflect the demands of the times.

Views Bangladesh: How important do you think criticism is? What should criticism be?
Salah Uddin Mahmud: Criticism is extremely important; however, most authors cannot handle criticism. They may even resort to violence in such situations. Everyone wants constructive criticism. That is, praising the author's qualities, headlines, and content selection are not being discussed. There is no discussion about topic selection, sentence structure, or grammatical accuracy. Criticism literature seems to be somewhat biased or laudatory nowadays. Articles praising the author are being written without reading from beginning to end. Consequently, if there are any mistakes, they are not being corrected. Even many popular authors cannot tolerate criticism. Yet, criticism is essential for an author's progress. Critics should be congratulated. They should learn about their own mistakes through others. That opportunity is not available anymore. Even experienced authors are not critiquing the literature of newcomers. They just say, nothing worthwhile is happening nowadays. The youth don't understand literature, but they don't say why nothing is happening. What should the youth do? It is very important to consider criticism as constructive and to have structural criticism in literature.

Views Bangladesh: How is Bengali literature faring these days?
Salah Uddin Mahmud: This is a very difficult question. It can be said that we are in a viral era. The more viral something is, the more books by that author are being sold. That's why, even without regular literary discussions, he continues to publish books. Those books become bestsellers by the end of the year. I haven't mentioned quality and subject matter. Essentially, we are experiencing an unstable period. Throughout the year, those who engage in literary discussions wander outside, leaving behind the stalls of viral authors. The reason for this instability is a transient generation. They recognize celebrities even if they don't know books or authors. They eagerly seek their autographs and take selfies with them. However, the hopeful thing is that those who are dedicated readers still search and purchase good books. Not everyone is swept away in the unstable stream. That's the silver lining.

Views Bangladesh: As you write children's literature, what are the reasons for the decreasing number of quality children's writers nowadays?
Salah Uddin Mahmud: It's not accurate to say that the number of children's writers is decreasing. However, if you visit the children's section at book fairs, you'll find plenty of books. Many writings are also published in the children's pages of newspapers. There are numerous publications focusing on children's literature. Sales are also good. So, it can be said that there are writers. However, the issue lies in the discussion. Sometimes I say, children's literature writers are stuck between ghosts and fairies. Those who are children's literature writers need to be more time-conscious.

Views Bangladesh: A critique has been prepared regarding the organization of this year's book fair. In your opinion, how should this organization be done?
Salah Uddin Mahmud: Criticism can take various forms. It could involve stall arrangement, program scheduling, or ensuring fairness in representation. However, since the book fair is a celebration, there might be some incongruities. It's an annual occurrence that often comes under scrutiny. Organizers may incur losses, and misunderstandings are not uncommon. Consequently, presenting a seamless book fair becomes challenging. Moreover, this year's fair seems to be dominated by enthusiastic youth. This trend isn't auspicious for the future. Unnecessary crowding at stalls is undesirable. There's a growing trend among bloggers and YouTubers to discredit authors and readers unnecessarily. In such promotional activities, having a code of conduct is essential. Let the book fair be comfortable for everyone.

Views Bangladesh: Has the number of online readers increased or decreased, and what are the reasons?
Salah Uddin Mahmud: Whether online or offline, the number of readers has undoubtedly increased. Every year, books worth 40-50 crore taka are sold at the book fair. However, the increase in readership is imperative. Readers now prefer printed books or e-books. To me, reading is essential. I have taken exams for three courses in MPhil and read various PDFs and online articles. Collecting those books was time-consuming and costly for me. Perhaps the number of print readers is decreasing, but online readers are increasing. There's nothing to be disheartened about. Currently, I read more online content than printed books. It's easier to read online. With just a smartphone, you can access a lot. Therefore, I see it as progressive.