IT seems that sensationalism has taken us to the point where reading has become a fad. While I have no issues with reading becoming the ‘in’ thing among today’s teens, I see students who claim to be ‘bookworms’ and ‘literary enthusiasts’ complaining about magazines and novels being too costly.

They flip pages at book fairs and then putting the books back in the rack, they go out to avail a Rs100 discount on a Rs3,000 pizza deal. We prefer free e-books over books, and would rather subscribe to international magazines than local ones.

Moreover, small efforts such as students’ magazines are not given enough importance or support. How, I ask, can we dream of producing writers and revolutionising society, when we discourage – or at least, do not encourage – the youth’s indulgence in artistic pursuits?

How will the poets among us bud, the writers prosper and critics emerge? I strongly believe that if the few who do take interest in literature stop helping the industry grow by not promoting healthy literary events and ideas, then we should blame ourselves for the absolute extinction of already depleting writers and publishing houses in the country.

Arfa Ezazi

Karachi

Published in Dawn, November 17th, 2014