Tikuli
Tikuli is an internationally
published poet, author and blogger from Delhi whose work has appeared in print
and online literary magazines includingLe Zaporogue, MiCROW 8, The Smoking Book
(Poets Wear Prada Press, US), Life And legends, Levure Littéraire 10, The
Enchanting Verses Literary Review, Open Road Review, Cafe Dissensus, Mnemosyne
Literary Journal, Dissident Voice, Women's Web, Tuck Magazine, The Criterion,
Peregrine Muse, Knot Magazine, Asian Signature Magazine, The Bombay Review, The
Thumb Print – A Magazine From The East, The Peacock Journal and The Peacock
Journal Anthology, TEKSTO- The People's Magazine, Guntur National Poetry
Festival Anthology, Melange – a Potpourri of thoughts, Le Zaporogue Print
editions and the much acclaimed Chicken Soup For The Indian Romantic Soul(Westland).
Her debut poetry book, Collection of Chaos, was published in 2014 by Leaky Boot
Press. Her second book of poems Wayfaring was published in 2017 by Leaky Boot
Press. Her third book of poems Duets, written in collaboration with James
Goddard, was released in November 2018. She blogs at tikulicious.wordpress.com.
In the past few decades digital
revolution has had a powerful effect on reading. In fact it has revolutionized
the way we read. There is a definite shift towards digital forms of reading and
computer-based forms of literary reading.
The arguments in favour of digital reading are convenience, ease of
reading anywhere, anytime, and the ready availability and ‘searchability’ of a
large number of reading materials including books though there are still a very
large section of readers who reject e reading of any sort. I personally read a
lot of material including, poetry, fiction, essays, book reviews, excerpts etc.
online but I have not yet graduated to reading books in digital format. Somehow
I don’t get convinced about doing literary reading on screen.
Many believed that the whole
digitalization and internet access would kill the traditional book publishing
and retailing but on the contrary in many cases the internet has pushed the
sales of the printed books. Many people,
including me, found a route to publish my print book via internet - through
blogging, submission to online journals, connecting with writers on social
media channels like Facebook and Twiter. Social media has made it easier for
people to discuss and get or give recommendations, showcase their own work,
connect with the authors at a one to one level which was not possible earlier.
The rise in literary journals and
magazines (some have a print version too) has opened doors to many upcoming
writers as well as new readers who are exploring certain genres. At the same time there are so many stories,
poems available to read that it becomes overwhelming to sort good writing from
the content.
I have been blogging for more
than ten years now though mine is not a literary blog. I feel that although the
number of bloggers continues to increase and there are some great book blogs
yet literary renaissance that one expected hasn’t happened despite some
sterling work by a few.
In the last decade social media
and online marketing have evolved and I don’t think having a blog is very
beneficial as an author unless you have something interesting and important to
say or your career benefits from it. Many of us now just use the blog for
promotions etc. On the other hand
Facebook Author or Book Pages and an active presence on other social media
channels do help a lot in showcasing and discussing your work. There are
numerous alternatives for online networking and promotion that are much more
effective.
There has also been a significant
rise in self-publishing and digital distribution which again can be a boon or a
bane. The costs are small and one can
successfully write and sell to a niche readership. On the other hand there is no ‘gatekeeping’
so a lot of bad writing comes through making it difficult to find something
that resonates with you.
I have also noticed a rise in
publication of regional and minority literature too since the advent of digitalization
which in my opinion is very good and needs to be supported.
The transition from paper-based
to screen based writing has tremendous negative impact too which cannot be
trivialized and it is something everyone needs to be mindful about. We always
said, ‘we are what we read’ but one should also add to it ‘we are how we read’.
The future of reading, including literature, in times of digitalization is a
multifaceted, multilayered discussion that
needs a lot of questioning and research but one can not dismiss
completely the fact that with the advancement of technology one will eventually have to tune ourselves to
read and write on screen based devices in balance with paper based interaction.
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