NBT newsletter ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION Rs 5.00; 50 paise per copy Volume 31 No. 10 • October 2013 Contents Mathematics Made Easy Storytelling Session at NBT 2 PubliCon 2013—Export Markets 3 Tales for Today’s Children: Connecting to the Roots 4 Literature on Swami Vivekananda 4 19th Delhi Book Fair 2013 5 Workshop on Promoting Reading Habit 5 Mathematics is a very intimidating strong since the ancient times. NCCL Library: A Profile “subject that finds applications Presiding over the function, 6 universally. The application is more Ambassador K.P. Fabian said that people Books On and By Gandhi important than the subject because it is avoid mathematics because of the way 7 the application that fascinates people to it is taught. He was hopeful that readers apply science of mathematics into art, would find the book interesting and PICK OF THE MONTH space, architecture, construction, design, would encourage the young to understand pure science etc. Today mathematics is mathematics better. finding application everywhere including our lives”, said Dr M.M. Pallam Raju, Hon’ble Minister for Human Resource Development, Government of India, while releasing the book, What is Mathematics? written by Shri Balkrishna Shetty, published by the National Book Trust, India. The function was organised at the India International Centre, New Delhi on 17 September 2013. Commending NBT on publishing a book of importance, Prof Dinesh Singh, Vice Chancellor, University of Delhi said that everything in this world follows a mathematical pattern including the nature around us, the genetic code, physical Little Wonders law and even the planets which revolve Laxmi Khanna ‘Suman’ around the sun. He added that the Indian 978-81-237-6885-4; Rs 45 mathematical tradition has been quite Prof. Pravin Kiran Sinclair, Director opinion that though people avoid studying presence “…shows how much emphasis NCERT, talked about the importance mathematics, it is in fact very close to Dr Pallam Raju lays on the importance of of variable education tools, other than critical thinking and everyday symmetry. education in the country”. the textbooks, which help teaching He hoped that his book would bridge that Earlier, Shri M.A. Sikandar, Director, mathematics to the students as an gap and interest people to take up the NBT welcomed the guests present on the alternative source of learning the subject study of mathematics as they do for other occasion. He hoped that the book would well. subjects.Thanking the Hon’ble Minister be well received by the readers, and be Addressing the session, Shri Balkrishna for gracing the occasion by releasing the of benefit to them, especially the young Shetty, author of the book was of the book, he said that the Hon’ble Minister’s readers. Storytelling Session at NBT n its efforts to promote lot of research needs to be Ireading habit in the done before preparing the country especially among illustrations. the children, National Children accompanied Centre for Children’s with their teachers from Literature (NCCL), different schools of Delhi a wing of National and NCR participated Book Trust, India in the session. They also organised an interactive interacted with both the storytelling session for author and illustrator of school children with the book and asked several Prof. Anvita Abbi, questions related to the author and Shri Atanu folktale. The session was Roy, illustrator, at its coordinated by Shri Manas bookshop in Nehru Ranjan Mahapatra, Editor Bhawan, Vasant Kunj, (NCCL). New Delhi. The NCCL, a wing of storytelling was based NBT, India was established on the book Jiro Mithe in 1993 to promote, publish published by the Trust. and aid children’s literature. Prof. Anvita Abbi told the children birds as their ancestors. Later, she retold It is involved in a large number of activities that the book Jiro Mithe is the first folktale the story of Jiro Mithe which regaled the to promote children’s literature and from Andaman and Nicobar Islands children. Shri Atanu Roy, illustrator of the reading habit across the country especially that has ever been published. She added book, explained to the children the basic in remote areas. It organizes workshops, that it was narrated to her by a tribal elements required to make illustrations discussions, seminars and exhibitions for man five years ago. This folktale brings attractive and appealing to the readers. children and professionals in order to into light the belief why the people of He also told children that the illustrations explore new avenues in children’s literature Andaman do not kill birds and consider should synchronize with the story and a and to develop creative skills in children. 2 NBT NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2013 PubliCon 2013 — Export Markets The National Book Trust, and now African authors are “India is actively engaging well-known in India. Hence, with the publishing industry Africa is a lucrative market for to reach unexplored markets Indian publishing industry. such as Africa and South Asia. African markets have been It is looking for long term traditionally dominated by investment opportunities in the US and the UK but India the publishing sector under and Africa are both emerging India-Africa Forum”, said Shri economies and have similar M.A. Sikandar, Director, NBT, issues which will help them Ministry of HRD, at ‘PubliCon better understand each other 2013’, a two-day conference and develop an egalitarian organized by FICCI from 10 relationship. to 11 September 2013, on the Expressing his views, Shri theme ‘Export Markets’ with Himanshu Gupta, Co-chair, special focus on Africa and South Asia. Even though there are copyright laws FICCI Publishing Committee and Joint Shri Sikandar called for leveraging and an official Nigerian Copyright Managing Director, S. Chand Group, said India’s strength in publishing academic Commission, the Nigerian Publishers’ that India produces publishing materials books in English and said NBT’s key Association (NPA) has established an at one-tenth of the cost incurred by the mandate is to promote Indian publishing Anti-Piracy Committee to deal with the US and the UK publishing sector. Africa industry both in the country and overseas. problem of piracy in the country”, added and South Asia are markets where Indian Smt. Ira Joshi, Additional Director Shri Falohun. publishers have shown great interest for General, Publications Division, Ministry Speaking on the occasion, Shri Rohit export of educational content. India of I&B, said that trade in cultural goods Kumar, Managing Director–South Asia, publishing has a lot to offer in terms of occupies a significant place in an economy, Reed Elsevier India Pvt. Ltd., said that new ideas and innovative concepts. “The and India is emerging as a professional India has an excellent relationship with two-day PubliCon 2013 will focus on destination for publishing work. With the Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa export markets for books and content, advent of new technology, e-publishing and many other countries. “We have the with the spotlight on Africa and South and e-marketing are rapidly gaining a experience as a country to produce low Asia. The focus will be on the potential for foothold in this sector. cost, affordable content that is relevant export of books and educational content Delivering the keynote address, Shri to local markets hence this is a natural from India to other emerging economies”. Tokunbo Falohun, Minister, Nigeria High extension of our historical collaborations. Presiding over the inaugural session, Commission, said that Africa offers Indian African nations and India would benefit Dr Arbind Prasad, Director General, publishing an excellent opportunity from leveraging India as a publishing hub FICCI said, “We have a vibrant ecosystem to export school and higher academic for all publishing services,” he added. of publishing. As per industry estimates, content to the African continent. India Ms. Urvashi Butalia, Chairperson, the publishing industry stands at around publishes books of international standard, FICCI Publishing Committee and Rs.12000 crores. We publish in more than and is comparatively competitive than Director, Zubaan, said a large Indian 20 languages and produce over 100,000 their Western counterparts. This offers a Diaspora is based out of African countries titles per year. We rank third in English good option to scale export of books to language publishing, after the US and African countries. UK”. He said that the African book The two-day conference saw issues of market is mainly centred on educational piracy & copyright, monetising content publishing, which was mainly due to through exports, viability of Indian demand in Africa for educational books. STM content for Africa and South Compared to the developed world, the Asia, potential markets for Indian K-12 African publishing industry is dependent content, and its selling across borders on textbook publishing and procurement being discussed by various panellists from by the state, the World Bank and donor across the country. The speakers included, agencies. Pranav Gupta, Sandeep Kaushik, Shesh “The publishing sector in Nigeria Sheshadri, Geeta Dharamarajan, S.K. appears to be quite vibrant and active. Ghai, Manisha Chaudhry, Karthika V.K. Nevertheless, there are several challenges. and Benny Kurian, among others. OCTOBER 2013 NBT NEWSLETTER 3 Tales for Today’s Children: Connecting to the Roots he National Centre for discussed about children’s TChildren’s Literature literature and reading (NCCL), the children’s wing habits of children in India of the National Book Trust, at present. He observed India (NBT) in association that, “To know more about with India Trade Promotion culture we need good Organisation (ITPO) books. We also need to tell and Federation of Indian children about our culture Publishers (FIP) organized and literature.” Agreeing an interactive discussion on with Shri Sikandar, he also the topic Tales for Today’s inspired children to visit Children: Connecting to libraries.