PESHAWAR: The publishers, political, cultural and literary organisations and individuals brought out thousands of new Pashto titles on research, history, literature and political issues during year 2019 and most books inspired the Pakhtun youth to develop reading habit.

Research scholars and critics while citing different reasons for the recent trend told this scribe that the tradition of poetry events, literary sessions and study circles motivated the budding Pashto bards and instilled the spirit of reading books among them.

Around 15,000 new Pashto titles, half of them of fiction, history, politics and culture, were published in Peshawar, Lahore, Karachi, Quetta and Kabul, said Wali Jan, an avid bibliophile. He said study circles and social media helped young readers to return to reading printed words.

“Most organisers of the study circles make it mandatory for the participants to read the book to be debated and at time a literary, social, cultural or political topic motivated the panelists to turn to bookshelves for participating in the event. This trend helped revive the habit of reading especially among young students,” Mr Jan remarked.

According to publishers in Peshawar, year 2019 witnessed a rising trend of reading habit among youth despite growth of social media and slump in the book market. Most young readers preferred to read titles on Pakhtun history, art, culture and political thoughts while Pakhtuns across the world continued placing demands for Pashto books on the origin, identity, values and old traditions of Pakhtuns.

Ayazullah Tarkazai, owner of a private publication house in Peshawar, told Dawn that top five Pashto poets whose poetry had gained popularity on social media were able to bring out their collections and hit the bookstalls in Peshawar, Dir, Swat, Buner, Charsadda and Mardan. He added that social media poets had a large following in Afghanistan.

“Some critics term poetry of such poets a hotchpotch of random thoughts. However, some writers have billed them a new breed of bards who have set new trends by creating political awareness of Pakhtuns’ identity,” the publisher stated.

Published in Dawn, December 14th, 2019