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Literary Colonialism: Books in the Third World

PHILIP G.ALTBACH

1) The developed countries dominate the systems which distribute knowledge; they control
publishing houses and produce scholarly journals, magazines, films and television programs
which the rest of the world consumes. Other countries, especially those in the Third World,
are at the periphery of the international intellectual system (485).

2) The discussion is predicated on several ideas. First, the unequal distribution of intellectual
products results from a complex set of factors including historical events, economic
relationships, language, literacy and the nature of educational systems. Second, industrialized
nations have benefited from their control of the means for distribution of knowledge and
have at times used their superiority to the disadvantage of developing countries. Third,
patterns of national development, the direction and rate of scientific growth, and the quality
of cultural life are related to issues of intellectual productivity and independence. Third
World nations have not often paid sufficient attention to these issues because of their
overwhelming concern with more immediate problems of development. (485).

3) There are not enough books to meet the rapidly growing needs of the developing countries.
The shortage is not a problem which can be solved simply by printing vast quantities of
books, but a complex issue which involves a number of national needs, from printing
technology to research support. Some Third World countries lack the technical facilities for
mass production of books, and some lack indigenous authors to write on subjects of national
concern in languages that most literate citizens understand. Even where books exist to serve a
national culture, they often cost more than individuals or even institutions can afford (485 -
486).

4) At present, there is a shortage of books for 70 percent of the globe. The nature of the Third
World book hunger, as Barker and Escarpit have recently called it, can be seen in the fact
that the 34 industrialized countries with only 30 percent of the population produce 81 percent
of the worlds book titles (Barker and Escarpit 1973:16). Although literacy rates in these
nations are higher than in developing countries, the rates alone do not begin to account for
the disparity in book production (486).

5) Figures for Asia dramatically illustrate the book gap. In 1967 the 18 developing countries of
the region with 28 percent of the worlds population, accounted for only 7.3 percent of the
total number of book titles and 2.6 percent of the total number of copies produced per year,
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and half of these were textbooks (Unesco 1967). This represents only 32 book titles per
million population, while in Europe the average was 417 per million (486).

6) Book publishing does not function in a vacuum; it is related to other elements in a society
and has international dimensions as well. it will treat those particular weaknesses of Third
World publishing which perpetuate the dependent position in which most developing nations
find themselves. The following study will treat those particular weaknesses of Third World
publishing which perpetuate the dependent position in which most developing nations find
themselves (486).

7) Third World dependence on industrial nations for intellectual products results from a
complex set of interrelated factors. Colonial languages have been used as a means of
national unification in a number of Third World nations, particularly those in which no one
indigenous language commands the loyalty of the entire population (486).

8) The colonial language has also been the medium for scholarship. The continued domination
of the highest levels of the educational system by Western languages has resulted in a paucity
of technical and scholarly books in indigenous languages. In addition, ruling elites in Third
World countries have often used the colonial language to protect their own privileged
position. As long as only 10 percent or less of a population has access to the language of
political and economic control, that language represents a source of power (486).

9) Furthermore, libraries and institutions, which comprise the bulk of the market for scholarly
and non-fiction books, are accustomed to buying books in European languages. Even where
classes are conducted in the indigenous language, a Western language is usually necessary
for library research. Thus, authors wishing to write for a national audience and to reach their
intellectual peers generally write in a European language (487).

10) Even in Indonesia, one of the few former colonies which has made a concentrated and fairly
successful effort to promote the use of an indigenous language, Bahasa Indonesia,
indigenous scholarly books and advanced textbooks do not yet exist and materials in English
are widely used (487).

11) Many of the complex economic and intellectual relationships and traditions make difficult for
local publishing of the books; therefore scholars prefer to publish their works in London,
New York and Paris. Foreign publishing becomes a source of money as well as of direct
communication with other Third World nations as in case of Jeune Afrique, an influential
African journal publishes in Paris (487).

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12) Literacy rates, reading habits of the population, government policies about copyright
regulations are some other factors that make the marketing of the books lower in the Third
World nations. In addition, literacy rates, poor purchasing power and the diversity of
languages also impact the publication of books in these nations (487- 488).

13) On account of international market, being on a small level. Usually Third World nations
publish only necessary books like religious books, some popular fiction books and some
scholarly texts (488).

14) Book distribution also causes the hindrance in the publication of books in the Third World
nation. Dan Lacy has divided this problem into three areas;
1. The demand for books is different from need.
2. The networks like book-sellers and whole sellers.
3. The sources that convey information about books like book-reviews and book trade
journals (488).

15) The lower reader density, the distances between settlements and poor transportation also
make book publishing difficult (488).

16) Another form of cultural dependency of Third World nations over industrialized countries
appears in the shape of political and trade relationships between the two. Industrialized
nations export their books to the Third World countries. America, France and Germany have
also arranged for many aid-programs. American and French publishers also work in Third
World nations and dominate local publishers. Aid to publishing and intellectual assistance is
provided for the Third World writers. Sponsorship is another form of aid. For instance, from
1950 to 1964, American Information Agency assisted in the production of nine thousand
additions and eighty million copies of books. Similarly, American-Indo Textbook Program is
also the form of foreign aid. However, these aids have their own agenda that have led to the
demise of local publishing (488).

17) Third World nations have also to face problems in copyright regulations. Copyright
regulations make it difficult and expensive for Third World countries to translate or publish
the material that is originally Western. On account of gaining more profit, Western
publishers prefer the export of their own books rather than giving the license of re-printing to
Third World nations. However, recently, it has become somehow easier for Third World
nations to translate and reprint the books at a lower cost (489).

18) Despite of the above difficulties, there are some suggestions that can help to eliminate the
unequal relationship between industrialized and Third World nations in the world of books
and publishing.
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1. The improvement of direct communication between Third World nations rather than
through industrialized countries;
2. The arrangement for viable means of book distribution among Third World nation
themselves and between Third World and industrialized nations;
3. The improvement in the facilities of indigenous book publishing and distribution to
prohibit intellectuals from foreign publishing;
4. Foreign scholars working in Third World nations should publish their findings in the
Third World nations in order to strengthen the local publishing and the availability of
relevant research at local level;
5. The change in intellectual infrastructure;
6. Libraries, book-review journals, bibliography and publicity tools should be supportive;
7. The change in national policy to solve the issues like the language of instruction in the
educational system and the ownership of publishing apparatus according to the need of
developing nations;
8. The evaluation of foreign aid programs so as not to undermine local publishing and
intellectual autonomy (490).

Bibliography

Altbach, Philip G. Literary Colonialism: Books in the Third World. The Post-Colonial Reader.
Ed. Ashcroft, Bill, Gareth Griffiths, and Helen Tiffin. New York: Routledge, 2003.