Sports writing has evolved over the years and inspirational stories now make for an independent literary genre, says Chahak Mittal
Cricket, as often said, is nothing less than a religion in India. And this is reflected not just in the fan-following that the cricketers command but even in sports literature. Be it Wizards: The Story of Indian Spin Bowling by Anindya Dutta, Sujit Mukherjee’s Autobiography of an Unknown Cricketer, Pundits From Pakistan by Rahul Bhattacharya, Azhar by Harsha Bhogle, Swami and Friends by RK Narayan, Ramachandra Guha’s States of Indian Cricket, there have been numerous books on the sport in India.
Other disciplines, now boosted by international wins, have equally inspirational stories. This is the gap that the Ekamra Sports Literature Festival is trying to bridge. Shireen Sethi, founder-director of the festival, said that this was the main topic of debate at this festival — Why so many books on cricket and none on other sports? She said, “We cannot even blame the writers and publishers for giving us so many books on cricket because it sells the most, especially in India. But this is why this festival was conceptualised to also make all kinds of sports and sports stories a part of mainstream literature.”
The festival, that concluded yesterday, also witnessed the first-ever sports book awards in six categories — Autobiography of the Year, Biography of the Year, (authorised or unauthorised), Cricket Book of the Year, Outstanding Sports Book Award, Best Sports Book Publisher and Sports Book of the Year.
Another reason which made the festival relevant was that the depiction of sports in literature, howsoever engaging, never finds the same resonance as a film. Case in point, Lagaan (2001) probably the first film, which documented the history of cricket in India. Through the film, the audience realised how Indians had struggled to defeat Britishers in a game they barely knew. For them, it was like a war and the only way was to save their hard-earned crops and money. The film became a national favourite. On the contrary, a similar reference in Ramachandra Guha’s A Corner of a Foreign Field: The Indian History of a British Sport, which presents the history of how cricket became an Indian sport, does not feature anywhere in the consciousness of Indians.
Shireen said that while conceptualising it, many sports authors, journalists and publishers agreed that writing a book is one thing and getting recognition or finding visibility is another and much tougher, which is why “we wanted to create a platform for sports writers to talk and give them more visibility in terms of readership.”
Author Kristen Worley, whose book, Women Enough, was released in India at the festival, talked about how sports literature and writing have changed over time and said, “I think it has evolved greatly in the past several years. From the printed glossy sports editions to digital publication, the publishing world is increasingly investing in the human stories of the ‘athlete experience’. However, books always reveal more. They not only talk about the life of an athlete or a sportsperson, but also illustrate his/her relationships, the ‘ins and outs’ of career and develop a real authentic voice and a tactile and unique relationship between the reader and him/her. Today, unlike earlier times, magazine publications and digital stories only provide the ‘highlights’, whereas the book format is able to reveal intimate details of an athlete — on and off the field. The crucial aspects of the athlete’s career are missed in these highlights which also means that his/her hard work and struggles go unrecognised.”
Journalist and author Tim Wigmore, whose Cricket 2.0 was also released at the festival, said, that it’s very obvious in case of journalism that sports writing has evolved manifold with simultaneous focus on statistics. “These are not a replacement for human interest stories but a supplement to them. I think modern fans are very curious and demand more from sports writing, which is making it grow,” added he.
His book talks about how Twenty20 changed the face of cricket over the years. He told us the reason for writing the book. “Since its initiation in 2003, Twenty20 has upended the norms in cricket and turned what was an old, traditional game on its head. We wanted to understand how and why it has become the most popular format of the sport, take a step back and understand the journey we have been on and where we could be headed next. We wanted to read a book telling this story. And we couldn’t find it, so we thought writing it would be the next best thing,” he said.
This was also the focus of what Wigmore talked about at the event where he said, “There are many ways in which T20 has changed cricket both on and off the field — encompassing everything from the rise of club cricket, hyper-commercialisation and cricket as entertainment. It has also changed the market for this sport, creating certain tensions. This festival is a great way to connect with those interested in sport on a deeper level and generate stimulating debate.”
So how can we involve sports literature in education? Apart from RK Narayan’s Swami and Friends, there is no other prominent Indian author’s sports fiction that is a part of literature courses in graduation colleges. Shireen said, “For that, universities need to introduce writing courses like the ones in the US, especially Columbia, which is famous for its creative writing. I think it’s time we take sports writing seriously like the rest of the arts.”
Kristen added, “The festival is vitally important as it can encourage more people to tell stories and even hear the authentic voice of athletes who are willing to share their tales. It can broaden the understanding and create a system that supports sportspersons and make their stories of victory as well as struggle more inclusive.”
While most of them would argue that sports is something that is best experienced live or visually rather than being read, she argued, “There is something very powerful about the written word as it is limitless and draws on our imagination with no restrictions, whereas the lived experience is limited to that moment in realtime.”
Wigmore disagreed too, “It has never been an either or. The best sports writing can enhance our enjoyment of what we see live on the field of play, providing a deeper perspective and way to appreciate the sport. Indeed, with relentless coverage, I’d say the benefits of this deeper perspective through writing are greater than ever.”