KOCHI: This is the book to be seen with, Ram c/o Anandhi. Akhil P Dharmarajan’s third work has become a must-have, with people creating social media reels and shorts featuring the book.
Coming after two barely noticed self-published works, the new release by the 30-year-old mechanical engineering diploma holder has achieved record sales of 2.5 lakh copies across 38 editions.
In a sector previously considered sluggish amid the dominance of web content and declining readership, the book’s sudden popularity has led to a surge of excitement, especially among young readers.
Keeping company with Akhil’s book is Nimna Vijay’s second novel Ettavum Priyappetta Ennodu, which has sold 85,000 copies. Also trending are Orikkal by N Mohanan, Daivathinte Charanmar and Sneham Kamam Bhrantu by Joseph Annamkutty Jose as well as actress Jolly Chirayath’s autobiography Ninnukathunna Kadalukal.
Recognising the trend, ‘CICC’ Jayachandran, a book publisher and retailer for the past 42 years, noted that certain books flew off the shelves during Valentine’s Day as couples competed to gift books—a novelty in the publishing industry.
“This surge may be tied to the rise of the internet, which has introduced a new set of readers to Malayalam literature. It remains to be seen whether this is a fleeting trend or a sustainable development,” Jayachandran said.
During the pandemic, there was a spike in crime thrillers, likely due to their popularity on OTT platforms, he pointed out. “But most failed to sell and remain as dead stock. The current trend began with Jolly Chirayath’s autobiography, but Akhil’s book has broken all records and is selling exceptionally well,” he said.
Jayachandran recalled that some books, such as Remanan by Changampuzha, had a devoted following in the past, with many soldiers carrying a copy with them as they travelled to border regions. However, except for books adapted as textbooks by universities, sales rarely exceeded 25,000 copies.
“It was letterpress in those days, and composing a novel was time-consuming and costly,” he said. “Once 25,000 copies were printed, it was not economical to produce additional copies, especially given the sporadic and staggered demand. The current sales volume is unprecedented, it and can be attributed to technology that allows printing on demand.”
Akhil confirmed that his books were among the top gifting choices, and that some of his readers were new to the hobby.
“Some readers bought the book to post photos or reviews online. However, many have since reviewed other books and evolved as readers. This boosts my confidence as a writer and reinforces my dream to be known as a storyteller,” he said.
Akhil aspired to share his stories from a young age, aiming to witness the excitement on people’s faces as his narration sparked vivid images in their minds.
Despite receiving lukewarm responses to his first two self-published books, he persisted with his passion and now feels confident in pursuing a career as a writer. He recalled many well-wishers advising him against becoming a writer because of the perceived financial instability.
Like Akhil, Nimna also dreamt of having her writings read by a wide audience, but she initially made a living as a content writer in Mumbai and Delhi before publishing her own book.
“I returned home after losing my job during the pandemic and attempted to compile my articles and stories, but I struggled to find a publisher. As a result, I self-published and even couriered copies directly to readers. My second book was published by Mankind Publishers, the representatives of which I met while shipping books at the post office,” she recalled.
Nimna acknowledges that her experience as a content creator on social media contributed to the success of her second book, helping it gain visibility.
Joseph Annamkutty Jose, a management graduate, popular radio jockey, and inspirational speaker, believes social media can help draw attention to books.
“My first book was self-published in 2017. Sales was sluggish, until one of my videos went viral. People realise I was a writer too. Many of my followers then went to bookstores asking for my book, prompting DC Books to publish it. My second book, Daivathinte Charanmar, sold over 1.5 lakh copies. With cumulative sales of 4 lakh copies, I am now confident of making writing my full-time profession,” he said.
When discussing the impact of social media on book sales, Joseph compared it to movie reviews, emphasising that success depended on the quality of the content.
“Social media can draw attention, but the book will succeed only if readers enjoy the writing. Even if a movie receives negative reviews, it can still become a hit if the content is good,” he added.
Sleazy books decline, crime thrillers revive
The rise of the internet led to a decline in a once-flourishing sector that supported certain sections of society. Pornographic and semi-pornographic books, published both openly and secretly, once enjoyed a strong market, but suffered a downturn as mobile devices and online content offered more private and accessible alternatives for voyeuristic material. CICC Jayachandran notes that writers like Vallachira Madhavan, known for his poetic language, were marginalised because of the sexual content in some of their works. While the publication of pornographic books diminished, the crime thriller genre has seen a revival, reproducing some classics like Last Witness by Neelakantan Paramara, reprinted by CICC. Paramara, a prolific writer of more than 100 crime thrillers, created the popular detective Bhaskar, known for walking the streets of Ernakulam in a “bush coat” and “felt hat” while smoking a cigarette.
Mahatma Gandhi’s autobiography remains ‘prized’ book
As Republic Day approaches each year, bookstores in Kerala receive an unusual influx of orders for Ente Sathyanweshana Pareekshanangal—the Malayalam edition of Mahatma Gandhi’s autobiography, ‘The Story of My Experiments with Truth’. The full version comprising nearly 500 pages is priced at Rs 80, subsidised by the Navajeevan Trust, while the abridged version is available for Rs 50. These books are awarded to students on Republic Day, making them one of the most widely distributed prizes in the state. Book retailers observe that, though the book is frequently gifted, it is rarely read by the recipients. As per rough estimates, total sales around 9 to 10 lakh copies.
Three decades of ‘Oru Sankeerthanam Pole’
Sankeerthanam Publishers has been publishing ‘Oru Sankeerthanam Pole’, a 1993 Malayalam novel by Perumbadavam Sreedharan, for the past three decades. The novel, which was first published in September that year, is set in Saint Petersburg and follows the life of Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky and his love affair with Anna, who would later become his wife. It achieved record-breaking success in 2005, selling over 1 lakh copies within 12 years of its release. The novel won numerous awards, including the Vayalar Award in 1996. Since its publication, the book has seen 128 editions, with the most recent being printed in March 2024. The book has sold more than 2.5 lakh copies since 1993. Asramam Bhasi, the founder of Sankeerthanam, has printed all 58 works of Perumbadavam.