The growing popularity of digital media and accessing the internet as the primary source of information, has changed the world in various ways. It has also shaped different languages and literature differently. For instance, Urdu literature has been impacted by the digital age as well.
Since social media websites and information and entertainment are available in abundance online, people nowadays do not spend time reading books, poetry or novels and rather, prefer to entertain themselves via social media and other platforms like Netflix and YouTube. Since the citizens of Pakistan aren’t widely known for their reading habits and young adults or young children do not usually show an interest in Urdu literature, the publishing trends have gone down as writers believe that this market will not provide them with much profit. This has thus negatively impacted Urdu literature.
Moreover, as compared to other renowned languages like English or French, Urdu literature has been a little less accessible online as people do not widely search for Urdu literature on the internet. Moreover, those people who are fluent in Urdu literature or are working in that field as writers or poets may face problems when it comes to the digitalization of the language. That is because the writers and poets themselves may find it difficult to first focus on their literature and then focus on digitizing it as well. Furthermore, the common man of Pakistan is not tech-savvy to the level that he can digitize literature on his own. This is perhaps due to Pakistan not having enough resources available to teach the public about the digital age and train people accordingly. Moreover, since the economy of Pakistan is already struggling, preserving and promoting the language of Pakistan is not the primary concern of the government. Thus, digitizing Urdu literature is commonly deemed unimportant and is thus disregarded.
Moreover, when it comes to digitizing any literary works, the publisher must have relevant information regarding copyrights so the publisher can protect the work of people and ensure that it is not plagiarized. However, since not many people are aware of the digitization process, they may not even be aware of the copyrights and the problems regarding plagiarism. Thus, people may struggle with getting the necessary documentation and legal work done to make their Urdu literature accessible online and keep it protected as well.
However, even though it may be commonly assumed that the digital age has not been much beneficial for Urdu literature, and has caused harm to Urdu literature, that may not be the case. That is because just like English newspapers and English news channels are available online, Urdu newspapers like Jung and Urdu news channels like Dawn and Geo are available online and can be easily accessed by their websites and YouTube channels as well.
Moreover, some websites solely focus on publishing Urdu blogs, establishing Urdu digital libraries, and publishing Urdu e-books as well. Not just that, but Urdu literature has gained popularity on social media platforms as well because Urdu poetry and novels are deemed aesthetic by young adults and thus, are shared over social media in the form of video edits for Instagram posts. This social media discourse regarding Urdu literature has aided in its popularity over social media and has led to people showing an increased interest towards reading Urdu poetry and Urdu novels which contain those specific quotes or dialogues which resonate with social media users. Moreover, some clothing brands promote Urdu literature on social media as well by marketing clothing items and accessories which have Urdu literature and Urdu alphabets printed on them. This has sparked the interest of many social media users to research Urdu literature. Moreover, some social media are solely dedicated to promoting Urdu literature and posting famous Drama clips on social media where the dialogues highlight the competency of the writers and encourage people to read the works of those writers.
As for the publishing trends regarding Urdu literature, some Urdu literary works are re-printed for universities and schools as Urdu is a compulsory subject in Pakistan. Thus, this re-printing allows Urdu works to be published and accessible to the new generation. Fortunately, for students who may struggle with the language, there are many websites available which offer online Urdu tuition to students.
Moreover, the Karachi Literature Festival takes place annually in Karachi and Urdu literature is widely discussed in the festival and some famous writers, narrators, and poets even promote their books and make them available for sale in the festival. Thus, impacting the publishing of Urdu literature. Not just that, but the Arts Council in Karachi encourages people to connect with Urdu literature and language as well as many writers host discussions regarding their book at the Arts Council. Moreover, many theater plays also take place in the Arts Council such as ‘Angan Terha’ which are written by famous and esteemed Urdu writers like Anwar Maqsood. This shows that there are avenues and channels in Pakistan where Urdu literature is promoted.
Thus, even though Urdu literature has faced some challenges due to the advent of the digital era, it has provided Urdu literature with new opportunities as well. With the right amount of support and encouragement, Urdu literature can benefit from the digital era and combat the challenges as well.
FAQ’s:
- How can the challenges faced by digitization be overcome?
One way of overcoming these challenges is by providing support to Urdu writers publicly in the form of investment and public support, to give Urdu literature the means it deserves to be digitized properly. For instance, teaching Urdu writers about copyrights and promoting Urdu literature in a way that becomes widely available on online reading websites and digital libraries. Furthermore, promoting Urdu literary works via social media channels as well.
- What is the future of Urdu literature in the digital age?
In the digital age where Urdu shows and movies are internationally recognized, a bit more support can result in the bright future of Urdu literature as social media and Urdu entertainment have the power that is required to make Urdu literature widely recognizable and appreciable. Thus, the future of Urdu literature is bright in the digital age.
- What are some of the steps I should take if I want my child to learn Urdu literature effectively?
Firstly, you should try to cultivate a reading habit of Urdu books and poetry in your children. Moreover, you can consult the Urdu teachers at your child’s educational institutions to help your child in learning the language. Fortunately, there are many websites available online if you need additional help, which provide a wide variety of Urdu tutors who could aid your child in learning Urdu literature effectively.
- How can digital media be used to promote Urdu literature?
In the era of digital media, promoting anything has become easier. Urdu literature can easily be promoted on digital media as well via having YouTube channels dedicated to Urdu literature for instance or conducting interviews with famous Urdu writers. Moreover, social media accounts on Instagram and Facebook can use relevant keywords and increase the reach of Urdu literary content as well.
- What are some of the most famous Urdu literary works?
The is a wide variety of Urdu literary works and ranges from genres like non-fiction, fiction, poetry, comedy, and even drama. Some of the famous Urdu literary works have been penned by Mirza Ghalib, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Saadat Hasan Manto, and Ismat Chugtai. In the current era, Anwar Maqsood and Farhat Ishtiaq are famous for their literary works as well.
