Literature excites and challenges young audiences in India, but literature that is delivered to them in new and inspiring ways that respect the pressures on time that all young Indians face, is highly intelligent and rich with ideas, and will support them in their individual growth. As one of the most important emerging book markets, it’s also a hugely important economic growth area for India and one with which we must engage with interventions that the publishing community needs.

Responding to market research that young audiences want articulate and accessible writers to whose success they can aspire, and that they also want opportunities to try their hand at new skills (in their own time and at their own pace), we have developed a programme for the forthcoming Jaipur International Literature Festival (JILF), World Book Fair and Kolkata Book Fair that aims to inspire and challenge. We will introduce new writers and writing (Maggie Fergusson and Robin Robertson), as well as established successful names (Ian McEwan and Indra Sinha). We will also work with JILF, The Literary Consultancy, New Writing Partnership and Oxford Bookstore to offer a national competition “Is Your Writing Rubbish?” that will give people who are excited by the idea of finding out a chance to submit short excerpts of writing for TLC and NWP to edit and judge, and for the Council to publish online for audiences to download. Those people who are successful will also get a chance to exploit online mentoring modules developed by the British Council to further hone their skills.

In Kolkata, as well as the Council’s focus on Scottish writing, we are developing an open debate for young entrepreneurs working in the publishing sector, an extension of our work in creative entrepreneurship, now in its fourth year in India. This session at the Kolkata Book Fair will take stock of where independent publishing is in India and where the UK can engage to support and learn from this growing number of talented young people, where the ultimate goal is to encourage more creative writing and more creative reading of the literature of both nations. This session should include S Anand (winner of the Indian 2007 publishing entrepreneurship competition, Anand went on to win the International Young Publisher of the Year prize at London Book Fair in January this year), UKYPY shortlister Emma Hayley and the 2006 Argentine winner Octavio Kulesz, as well as previous Indian winners and shortlisted candidates for the award. The session will run again at the World Book Fair in New Delhi, where we also intend to support the London Book Fair’s work around IPR and publishing.

For more information, please contact Srishti Rana.