Some renowned writers and authors in Fiji have raised concern on the lack of passion in reading among the younger generation and the less contemporary writers in the country.

Devendran Kumaran, who has published three books namely “Mannu’s Karma”, “A Hint of Blue” and “The Luxman Factor”, says for the younger generation, the urge for reading, is not the same as before.

“The first reading material I ever got was my mother’s vegetable market wrappers. Those were English papers, Australian papers and these papers were used to wrap stuff which we brought home. So I wiped it, cleaned it and I put it under the mattress so that it got straightened and then I read it. That was my hunger for reading.”

2015 Commonwealth Short story competition winner – Mary Rokonadravu fears that due to this sort of attitude, writing is in a great danger of loss

Rokonadravu says Fiji has had writers in the past and those who continue to write, but they’re not necessarily of the younger generation.

“There’s no consolidated comprehensive writing that has emerged from at least us in Fiji or Pacific so my message to younger people especially those who write, and they actually write in secret and they don’t share. It is important to share.”

According to both the writers, it’s high time that elders motivate students.