When writers are worried that youngsters are giving up on reading Tamil books, K Nachimuthu, Convener of Tamil Advisory Board of Sahitya Akademi, informed that the Akademi is selling more than Rs 5 crore worth Tamil books in the country each year.

Addressing a symposium on Tamil writer D Jayakanthan at the NGP Arts and Science College in Coimbatore on Monday, Nachimuthu also claimed that Tamil books sold more than any other regional language books. “The Akademi, which is the largest publisher in the country, publishes and has recognised 24 languages, including the newly added Bodo language. Among all these, Tamil language books sell the most,” he said.

However, he claimed that there was a declining trend in the reading habit among youths, adding that the Akademi was also involved in activities to create literary awareness. He also alleged that there was a low literary conscious among people.

“To begin with, we have started conducting literary events in schools, in addition to the many events we conduct annually in the State,” he informed. He further pointed out that the Akademi was also trying to familiarise young minds with translations to increase the reading habit.