Recently, I visited a book fair. While, I was searching for books near payment counter, I come across the conversation taking place between another customer and the person reviving the payment (who was organizer of the fair and himself a publisher).
The organiser first gave a businessman statement ‘mera bus chale to main muft kitaben baantoon’ and then start telling that publishing of books has been more affected than any sector due to load-shedding as almost all the stages of book publishing (composing, binding, etc) require electricity. He said that books are going to be more expensive in coming days.
He then gave some negative comments about Pakistan’s famous publishing house for their profit earning motives and excused the customer for not giving further discount.
Do you think that the books have gone extra expensive?
Do people bargain for other items in same manner like they do for books?
dont know much about literature books published now a days locally, but syllabus and programme books published in India or other countries are really expensive.
I think as far as Indian books are concerned, exchange rates are now playing big part. There was a time that imported Indian books were at par or low in price than Pakistani books. Now its more than double.
I think as far as Indian books are concerned, exchange rates are now playing big part. There was a time that imported Indian books were at par or low in price than Pakistani books. Now its more than double.
i think lesser rate of sale and consumption of books also affect the prices as our society is not that literary. Same is the reason we cannot publish books in Pakistan that are being published in India.
yes books are becoming very expensive. every time i go to Pakistan, i go to urdubazar. specially the books of famous writers with 200-300+ pages have crossed the range of 200-300 rupees.
once traveling from Lahore i forgot to keep some book with me, and went to the bookshop at departure lounge of airport, i had to pay 1000 rupee for Baba Sahba, at urdu bazar karachi it was about 900, still too expensive
prices are going up for everything and i think the book prices haven't gone up as much as other stuff have.
i believe that the government should subsidize the cost of books so the people have more access to books.
in India, the books [literature, non fiction] published by Anjuman-e-Taraqqii-e-Urdu are heavily subsidized and hence is much more accessible to the less fortunate masses. two years ago, i bought 8 books for Rs.300...i think if i bought from somewhere else it would have cost me in excess of Rs. 1000.
yes books are becoming very expensive. every time i go to Pakistan, i go to urdubazar. specially the books of famous writers with 200-300+ pages have crossed the range of 200-300 rupees.
once traveling from Lahore i forgot to keep some book with me, and went to the bookshop at departure lounge of airport, i had to pay 1000 rupee for Baba Sahba, at urdu bazar karachi it was about 900, still too expensive
Baba Sahiba might be sold for Rs 1500 now. An 800-850 pages novel is now available for Rs 1500. Sang e Meel is charging Rs 2 per page (on an average)
prices are going up for everything and i think the book prices haven't gone up as much as other stuff have.
i believe that the government should subsidize the cost of books so the people have more access to books.
in India, the books [literature, non fiction] published by Anjuman-e-Taraqqii-e-Urdu are heavily subsidized and hence is much more accessible to the less fortunate masses. two years ago, i bought 8 books for Rs.300...i think if i bought from somewhere else it would have cost me in excess of Rs. 1000.
In Pakistan, National Book Foundation (A Government Organisation) publish comparatively low price book. The issue is major writer and best sellers don't give rights to them and they publish very few books like collection of short stories and a quarterly literary magazine dedicated to works of a writer / poet.
