The Sunday Mail
E-With the issue of piracy being a major problem the accessibility of cheaper e-books have been benefiting many writers
Readers have come to know me as a book reviewer, and in the process of reading and reviewing plus interactions with writers, I came across an interesting topic.
So instead of dissecting “Bhuku Risina Basa” by Memory Chirere, which will now do next week, I thought I could share with you fellow bookworms and literature junkies the effects of technology in literature.
Before I dig into that issue, I would like to share my heartache with the rest of the arts community who were dealt a huge blow when Book Cafe shut its doors last week.
This development has significantly affected me since this is where I got many books.
I am definitely going to miss browsing through the bookshelves while the librarian, Linda Gabriel, would point me towards new, interesting or under-appreciated texts.
Little did we know that John Eppel and Togara Muzanenhamo’s poetry anthology “Textures”, which was recently launched at the Book Cafe, would be the last literary piece to celebrate its birth at this venue.
Book Cafe’s closure has left a huge dent not only on the local literature landscape but on the entire arts sector.
I really hope a solution will be found to rectify the problem.
Back to today’s fare.
The technological revolution, which has affected every aspect of society as gadgets, software and hardware are being modified by the minute to suit different needs, has brought with it benefits and drawbacks at the same time.
Cultural dynamics are being challenged and with the speed at which these changes are occurring, there is a high probability of extinction for some practises.
This technology has revolutionised the literary world from all fronts, resulting in both positive and negative effects.
The majority of writers would agree that the technological movement has been simplifying their work, with computer programmes being designed to make the writing experience much easier.
Gone are the days of the typewriter, whereby making a mistake meant one had to start all over again.
With the advent of word processing software on modern computers, mistakes can be corrected with the touch of a button.
Besides making writing experience easier, new technology has made it quicker and cheaper for writers to reach their audience.
In a world in which the internet is now accessible to almost everyone either through computers or mobile devices, writers can now publish their work online instead of using the print medium.
With the issue of piracy being a major problem, the accessibility of cheaper e-books have been benefiting writers since most techno-savvy readers are now opting to buy these instead of the hard copy.
Amazon Kindle devices have changed the face of book sales as they allow the user to shop for, download, browse and read from a selection of over 3,2 million e-books.
Social media has also become a huge marketing tool for publishers and distributors while at the same time it is giving authors the opportunity to interact with the readers.
Award-winning writer Memory Chirere embraces technologies benefits to literature.
“Technological advancement has helped the book to appear in numerous forms beyond the hard copy, which is a good thing,” says Chirere.
However, despite the numerous benefits, which can be attributed to new technologies, the decline in the reading culture has been attributed to the sharp rise and prevalence of digital media, especially computers and the internet.
Instead of using these platforms to easily access literary material, most people have instead limited their uses to accessing video-games, music and movies.
These are just a few among the many angles from which technology has impacted the literary culture. While it has brought with it platforms that encourage a simpler literary cycle, it cannot be disputed that some traditions like going to the library or book store like Book Cafe are being challenged.
Why should I be going to the library when I can just sit in front of a computer or power up my mobile device to access any information that I require.
But then at the end of the day we should also note that hard printed books can weather many ugly conditions that new technological gadgets cannot, since they could easily succumb to malfunction or even break.
We can go on and on but it all comes down to that technological advancement has contributed significantly to the development of literature while at the same time it has been threatening several elements of the culture.
