Rooting for regional lit

CHENNAI: The Global English Editing’s infographics on the global reading habits in 2020 revealed that Indians read the most, by spending an average of 10 hours and 42 minutes a week. The survey found that there were 1.51 billion visits to books and literature e-commerce sites across the world in March 2020 with an increase of 8.5 per cent from that of February. Digital mediums of consumption such as e-books and audiobooks reported a similar boom.

Subsequently, so did the blogger brouhaha on #bookstagram with reviewing and marketing of books. While the English bookstagram scene has always been buzzing with frequent collaborations with publishing houses and author interactions, the relatively muted Tamil bookstagram community had an unexpected rise in activity during the lockdown, it seems.

Being mostly solitary and indoors, a brigade of young bibliophiles turned this adversity into an opportunity by posting reviews of some of their favourite works in Tamil literature. The hashtag #tamilbookstagram catapulted to over 5,000 posts in a year. Vaishali Vijaykumar speaks to eight bloggers from the budding community, who share their insights on regional literature and the promising trend of the youth promoting these works — one review at a time. 

Ragava Santhosh
It’s been over seven months since event manager Raghava Santhosh started his Tamil bookstagram account. “There’s so much analysis and introspection that goes into penning a summary. Your reviews can make or break a book. You feel validated when somebody appreciates and resonates with your reviews. I’m not chasing numbers or likes. Feedback matters,” he says. 

Raghava credits his Tamil teachers, who shaped his perspective in his formative years. “My Tamil classes inspired me to join a library, and reading became an addiction. Bookstagram has taken my love for the subject to another level. By voicing my views, I’m able to hold a reader’s attention and document my opinion on a specific book. This trend can help budding authors to promote their books by collaborating with us,” says the Coimbatore native. 

His page offers a plethora of genres such as supernatural, self-help, philosophy and anthology. He plans to venture into other mediums of reviewing like YouTube. “That’s a different ball game and requires investment. Bookstagram has good prospects as a career, provided you utilise it accordingly,” he says.

• Instagram: @tamil_reader
• Currently reading: Udayar by Balakumaran
• Must-read: Vishnupuram by Jeyamohan and Oru Puliyamarathin Kathai by Sundara Ramaswamy

Nivethaa
The pandemic sure pulled many towards reading and one among the many who enjoyed the fruit of it is Nivethaa. The Tiruppur-based college student did not restrict herself to sharing book reviews. Her account offers an assortment of poems, memes and reviews with a common goal to promote Tamil literature. 

“From accessibility to affordability, there are so many disparities between Tamil and English literature. We have problems at the grassroots level to resolve before talking about just bookstagram. As regional language bloggers, if we want to monetise our reviews with collaborations then we need to have a connection with publishers and writers which may still take a long time,” she says. 

Nivethaa requests fellow bookstagrammers to purchase books from local shops or borrow from libraries. “We shouldn’t look at this as a business. The minute things become free, the quality stoops to a grade lower. We need to look at how books can be used as a tool to promote our culture and history. We can keep reviews bilingual or use voice-overs so that everybody understands. The dynamics of English bookstagram is different and we must not compare ourselves with that. My dream is to set up a small library and preserve gems like Ponniyan Selvan, Velpari and more for generations to come,” she sums up.

• Instagram:  @she_says_she_slays
• Currently reading: Chinna Nool Kanda Nammai Siraipaduthuvathu by Sivasankari
• Must-read: Karuvaachi Kaviyam by Vairamuthu and Ratham Ore Niram by Sujatha

Dhibendran Selvarajah
There’s so much hope, inspiration and information on Dhibendran Selvarajah’s bookstagram account, which is just five months old. “One of the objectives was to promote Tamil books to a non-Tamil speaking audience, and also promote English books to a Tamil-speaking audience. My audience from both sides of the aisle have given me excellent feedback on my Tamil language and have admired certain significant work in Tamil literature,” says the Colombo-based advertising professional. 

Besides book reviews, the bookstagrammer regularly posts polls, quizzes, shares trivia and ensures the page is interactive. He also hosts Clubhouse book discussions. “I’ve had people reach out from different parts of the world and thank me for kindling the curiosity in them for Tamil books. I’m glad that I’ve been able to achieve as much as I can in this limited space and time. Unlike English bookstagram with worldwide readerships, ours is small and intimate. But if we tap the potential effectively then it can go places,” he assures. 

One of his new initiatives is author of the week, where he shares trivia about authors whose work he enjoyed reading. “We need to first acknowledge the potential of Tamil literature. It has so much to offer and until you immerse yourself in the ocean, you wouldn’t know,” he sums up.

• Instagram: @bilinguallibrary
• Currently reading: Ponniyin Selvan by Kalki Krishnamurthy
• Must-read: Yaar Intha Ravanan by NKS Thiruchelvam

Murugan K
Cultivating a daily reading habit not only introduced Murugan K to bookstagram but also transformed his personality. The lockdown came as a much-needed time for the aspiring assistant director to revisit his appetite for literature after college days. “I’m an introvert and books have always been my companion. Bookstagram turned out to be a platform for me to connect with people through books. It opened a wider world of wisdom,” shares the Dharmapuri resident. 

Reading, he says, has given him a momentary respite from reality. “I developed patience and my mindset eventually changed for the better. Though I enjoy reading books on filmmaking and non-fiction for professional benefits, I give equal importance to other genres,” he shares. 

His bookstagram account helps him keep track of the books read and the key takeaways from each work. “By presenting my review in pointers, not only am I educating readers, but also using it as a guide for future reference. If we tap the potential of this platform to the fullest then Tamil literature can go places,” he believes.

• Instagram: @ murugan_dir
• Currently reading: Valgavil Irunthu Gangai Varai by Rahul Sanskrityayan and Udalenum Veli by Ambai
• Must-read: Siddarthan by Thiruloga Seetharam and Barabas (translated work in Tamil) by Pär Lagerkvist

Sabeer Ali
It’s fascinating to find how Tamil bookstagram has caught up with bibliophiles around the globe. One such lover of the language is Sabeer Ali, a college student from Akkaraipattu on the eastern coast of Sri Lanka. Sabeer started his bookstagram account at the end of 2019. “Unlike YouTube or other mediums, Instagram paves way for two-way communication. You can connect with a fellow reviewer if you have queries or need clarification. It creates a community and helps with healthy communications among closely-knit groups,” he explains. 

Sabeer had made it a point to complete one book a week. “I love reading Srilankan literature. Besides that, some of my favourite authors are Sundara Ramasamy, Thoppil Mohammed Meran, S Ramakrishnan, Jayakanthan, Ki Rajanarayanan, Vaikom Muhammad Basheer and Jayamohan. We need more translated works in Tamil literature, so that they can be enjoyed by a global audience. I’m proud to be a Tamilian. My way of staying in touch with the roots is through books. I would love the same for others like me,” he says. 

• Instagram: @ _itsmesabeer
• Currently reading: Oru Manithan Oru Veedu Oru Ulagam by Jayakanthan 
• Must-read: Ester by Vannanilavan, Thaneer Desam by Vairamuthu and Desanthiri by S Ramakrishnan

Niveda S
The beauty about reading is having to share it with others. And it’s all the more pleasurable when it’s your regional literature. Every book has a style and offers a different experience while reading,” shares Niveda S, who’s been sharing reviews on her bookstagram account since August 2020. 

The Chennai-based embedded software engineer also runs a page called , which reflects her love for Sangam literature. “During school days, I had a chance to take part in Semmozhi Manadu. Back then, there wasn’t much awareness but gradually I developed a flair for the language and started spending hours reading Tamil novels,” she notes. 

While archaeology-related books are her favourite, she doesn’t limit her collection to a specific genre. “I love Mari Selvaraj’s Marakkave Ninaikkiren and Thamirabaraniyil Kolla Padathavargal. The more I exposed myself to the Tamil literary world, the more it accepted me. Bookstagram paved the way for me to meet like-minded people, sparked discussions and it turned out to be a knowledge-sharing platform,” says Niveda. She wants to set up a small library for bibliophiles, who have trouble accessing books. “The younger community should realise the importance of Tamil books. We need to safeguard and preserve these books for those who cannot afford them,” she states.

• Instagram: @_bimbam_
• Currently reading: Sool by Cho Dharman
• Must-read: Anilaadum Mundril by Naa Muthukumar, Oru Manithan Oru Veedu Oru Ulagam by Jayakanthan and Neerchuli by Muthurasa Kumar

Subasreene Muthupandi
If there’s one thing that Subasreene Muthupandi is immensely grateful for, it is books. The second thing she’s recently added to her gratitude list is bookstagram. “I inherited the habit of reading from my father. I intend to share the lessons learnt from the books I read with others,” says the Erode-based TNPSC aspirant.

While her friends did not consider reading worthwhile, Subasreene focussed on helping people inculcate the habit. “We need celebrities like director Vetrimaran and actor Kamal Haasan who’ve been vocal about their respect for Tamil literature to act as catalysts in bringing about change. Public endorsement is crucial if we want to improve the landscape of Tamil bookstagram,” she says. Her year-old account has 1,600 followers. “We have reading sessions, exchange books and help each other grow. I choose satisfaction over fame and meaningful conversations over competition.”

• Instagram: @bharathikandapudumaipen 
• Currently reading: Muthal Thalaimurai by Irai Anbu
• Must-read: Velpari by Su Venkatesan

Janani Moorthy
From Sundara Ramasamy’s Oru Puliyamarathin Kathai to Leo Tolstoy’s translated work Puthuyirppu, Janani Moorthy’s Tamil bookstagram account is full of crisp reviews. Determined to explore lesser-known literary works and bring them to the fore, she started the page over a year ago, which now has 1,000 followers. “Growing up, I’ve always had a reverence for Tamil. Though I was a Science student in college, I spent most of my time in the Tamil department and libraries sifting through books. I actively took part in pattimandram and orations. So much so that my professors suggested I pursue it full-time,” says the Tiruppur native. 

Janani hopes that her posts inspire aspiring bloggers to read underrated books. “We prioritise quality content, simple review and elegant aesthetics. We don’t have as many opportunities to monetise reviews as English bookstagrammers do. It would be nice to see an active presence of Tamil authors and publishers, only then can we build more conversations and create a better impact. My Instagram insights show that my audience is mainly from 18-35 age group in urban areas. I want to bridge this gap; I believe bookstagram has the potential to create positive communities,” says Janani, who has a Master’s degree in Tamil literature. Ki Rajanarayanan, Janakiraman, Asokamithran, Indra Parthasarathy, Poomani and S Ramakrishnan are her favourite authors.

• Instagram: @ReadwithJanani
• Currently reading: Thalithiyamum Ulaga Mudhalaliyum by SV Rajadurai
• Must-read: Aram by Jeyamohan