Gen Z needs to rediscover the joy of reading: Prof Mahesh

Bengaluru

Gen Z is far from literature, and I suggest that they begin reading more, familiarise themselves with literary figures and interact with them”, said Prof N.C. Mahesh, speaking to News Trail on Sunday, was a speaker at the ‘Remembering Beechi’ parallel session on the third day of the Book Brahma Literature Festival 2026, being held at St John’s Auditorium in Bengaluru. Mahesh said more young people should be encouraged to attend literary festivals and reflect on literature. He also pointed to the changing ways in which people consume books, particularly with the rise of audiobooks.

“There are audiobooks now. Books that take two days to complete can be finished by listening to them within two hours. But my question is, what is the impact of this and how do you perceive it? The essence of literature and the thinking it inspires are the main aspects of literature”, he said. On the growing preference among younger readers for Western and English literature, particularly in Karnataka, Mahesh said exposure to global literature was important, but urged readers to also consider the place of Kannada literature. “We must explore global literature and understand different ways of thinking and living.

But we must ask ourselves whether we should continue expanding our horizons or remain rooted in Kannada”, he said. Book Brahma Literature Festival 2026, which began on August 14, featured 207 sessions with the participation of more than 400 writers, thinkers and artists. Across nine stages, discussions covered a wide range of literary and contemporary subjects, including translated literature, Beechi Smarana, poetry and column writing. For Mahima, an attendee, the ‘Remembering Beechi’ session offered an opportunity to learn about a literary figure who is not widely discussed among younger generations.

“This is the first time I have attended an event like this. The session on poet Beechi and his works was very interesting. People of our age do not know much about him, but I was familiar with him because I am in theatre. That interest brought me here”, she said, adding that discussions on such literary figures were important, as much of the information was not easily available online. Beechi’s grandson and session speaker Ullas Rayasam said Beechi’s writings should not be viewed merely through the lens of humour, but understood for their satire and social commentary.

At the Angala stage, renowned filmmaker Girish Kasaravalli and his daughter Ananya Kasaravalli participated in a special father-daughter conversation titled ‘Drishya Digantha: Father-Daugh ter Jugalbandi’. Speaking to News Trail, Kasaravalli said literature festivals provide an important space for people to interact with filmmakers, writers and artists from different backgrounds and understand their as pirations, concerns and perspectives. “I have attended several sessions at ‘Angala’ and the crowd there was quite good. The enthusiasm was interesting.

However, attending an event cannot be the criteria to judge the younger generation’s attitude towards literature”, he said, adding that more thought-provoking literature festivals should be organised regularly to encourage youngsters to engage with literature and develop the habit of reading. Aaniea Pandya, a young speaker at the Newzen parallel stage, said efforts to encourage reading should begin in schools. She suggested book re ports, more library hours and exposure to books beyond the curriculum as ways to cultivate the habit.

“They should be encouraged to read books beyond their curriculum and pick up books simply for the joy of reading”, she said, adding that children and adults should also make use of the growing availability of literature through e-books. Meanwhile, a conversation with Carnatic vocalist T.M. Krishna, based on his book We the People of India: Decoding a Nation’s Symbols, explored the theme ‘We the People of India: Reclaiming the Constitutional Imagination’. The session was moderated by writer Suchitra Ramachandran. “The Constitution is not merely a legal document but also an artistic document. The Preamble encapsulates the essence of the Constitution, and its ideas reflect a far-reaching vision for the future”, Krishna said.