The Literature Shortcut

In the rush to get published, young Kashmiris are seemingly skipping the step that matters most-reading. The result is a flood of books and a drought of literature.

- Nawaz Shah

Self-publishing has taken Kashmir by storm. It has given everyone—from schoolkids to first-time diarists—a shortcut to becoming an author.

Platforms that once promised to liberate the voices stuck outside traditional publishing now serve as expressways for unpolished, unchecked, and often unreadable manuscripts.

With little editorial oversight, books are being pushed out in a hurry. The goal? Not storytelling. Not literature. Just a cover with your name on it.

In Srinagar’s café circuits and college corridors, being a “published author” is no longer rare or revered. It's expected.

Teenagers are skipping the phase of reading widely and thinking deeply, and going straight to writing. At times, they're barely old enough to understand the books they've read, if they've read at all.