Harry Potter is the latest fad. The little wizard is all over the place---newspapers, magazines, television channels, Internet sites. He has become the buzzword among kids, who are making beelines to bookshops to catch hold of a copy, no matter even if it weighs 1 kilogram, has 768 pages and costs Rs. 795. Critics have termed it as a unique phenomenon, unequalled in recent times.

The occasion was the recent release of J. K. Rowling’s fifth book in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix; major Indian newspapers flashed news about the book release quite prominently, television channels have Potter almost everyday and almost all major bookshops have sold out their copies.

But, amidst all this excitement, several important questions arise: Is the media going overboard with the hype? And, in the process, are we doing injustice to Indian authors? Aren’t Indian writers of children’s books in English getting relegated to the background? The answer would undoubtedly be ‘yes’.

Talk to any school child, and it is certain that he has heard more of the likes of Harry Potter, the Hardy Boys, the Famous Five, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, etc. than the Panchatantra or any other book by an Indian author. Similar is the case with comics. Tin Tin, Asterix, Phantom, Batman and Superman are more popular than the heroes of Amar Chitra Katha, Tinkle or Chacha Chaudhury.

There is no dearth of talent or well-written books in India. In fact, Indian writing in English has made its mark globally. It is only that children’s books by Indian authors have not got their due. There are several reasons for this. Most authors and publishers feel the media is primarily to blame for the sorry state of Indian authors. While writings by Western authors are given widespread coverage, those by Indians often get pushed into a corner or get no coverage at all.

Bulbul Sharma, who has penned books like Tales of Fabled Feasts and Gods and Demons, is quite vocal in her criticism of the media: "In India, we have no dearth of talent. Our media prefers foreign writers and is neglecting Indian authors."

There is a monetary angle too. A publicity campaign like the one by
J. K. Rowling is something unthinkable by Indian authors with their limited budgets.

Dr. Shobita Punja, author of Listen to the Animals and Stories About This and That, agrees: "For publicity stunts and any kind of hype, money is the only factor that matters. Indian writers lack in this aspect and thus are lagging behind their foreign cousins." She, however, feels Harry Potter is a valuable gift for people of all age groups and should be appreciated.

There is no denying the fact that widespread publicity makes a deep impact on readers. Furthermore, in today’s fast-paced commercial and competitive world, the success of any thing, however good it may be, depends on how it is showcased. And, that includes books too.

Says Anand Rawat, Manager of Cross Word: "Foreign authors are more popular. The reason is that except for Ruskin Bond, very few Indian authors write books for children of all age groups. Besides, Indian children’s books generally don’t come in series like Harry Potter. So after reading one book, the children forget about the author."

Arundhuti Deosthale of Scholastic India says: "There is lot a of Indian talent like Ruskin Bond, Subhadra Sengupta, Sumati Sudhakar, Vinita Krishna, Girija Asthana, etc. Children of today’s generation do read their books. I think Indian children will be more comfortable reading about our culture because they are not familiar with the foreign culture. The vital thing is that children’s books should be written in an interesting and attractive manner." On Harry Potter, she says it is a unique phenomenon and it cannot be compared to any other genre of children’s books.

It is also important that children are allowed to choose their books and not be swayed by hype or their parents who often tend to be swayed by the hype. Navin Menon, Senior Assistant Editor of Children’s Book Trust and Editor of Children’s World, agrees: "In India, parents still choose books for their children. Children should be given the chance to choose books according to their choice."

Menon is not at all happy with the hype of Harry Potter and feels Indian authors do not seek publicity. "Our authors are fond of writing and they write for the pleasure of writing." She ends with a positive note that though foreign writers are more popular, Indian writers like Anita Desai are coming out with a new consciousness and such work will definitely be liked by the present generation.