Little magazines beat pandemic woes

They were forced to skip editions because of lockdown and postal restrictions, but things are looking up again

Little magazines have faced a tough time over the past year but are now back, making up for lost time.

Rutha, launched in late 2019 from a home office in Basavanagudi, had published six editions when it had to take a break. “Our goal was to bring out an edition every month for 11 months, and one special edition at the end of the year. But sadly, Covid had other plans,” says Madhava Ithal, editor and publisher.

Rutha has brought out issues on a variety of themes, including feminism and tribal culture. With a team of five, it became difficult to bring out an edition every month, Ithal says. “The printers shut down during the lockdowns. Plus, with the postal service being affected, we had no way of getting the magazines across to our subscribers,” he says.

Matukate, the quarterly magazine published by the well-known theatre institute Ninasam in Heggodu, faced similar problems. “We eventually clubbed two editions,” says K V Akshara, honorary director, Ninasam.

While financial troubles hindered publication, donations received from all over Karnataka helped.

The journal has been in print since 1987 and focuses predominantly on theatre, art and culture. It currently has 800 subscribers.

Ananya Kalasinchana, a bilingual monthly music magazine, is published by Ananya, a non-profit cultural organisation based in Bengaluru. It stopped its print edition last year and is now a free online magazine. It is no longer viable to bring out a print edition, says R V Raghavendra, founder. He edits the magazine along with his wife Pramila Bai.

“We are a team of just eight, and so we decided to shift online. This way, we might reach more people,” he told Metrolife.

Since transitioning online, the magazine has acquired 7,000 readers, reached mainly through email and WhatsApp. It is popular for its feature articles on classical music and dance.

Dearth of contributors

Ananya Kalasinchana, running since 1998 as a Kannada magazine, became bilingual in the recent years. It was earlier known as Ananya Abhivyakti.

“Over the years, we’ve lost many of the older Kannada writers. Plus, many are no longer contributing since we moved online. We have a lot of young contributors and they write in English,” he says.

T S Goravara, editor of the literary journal Akshar Sangaatha, agrees writing talent is getting harder to find. “We have to dig deep and go hunting. I have found some gems but it takes time and patience to guide fresh writers,” says the writer, who also launched a bookstore in Dharwad two months ago.

Akshara feels writing today has become too crisp, leaving no room for writers who write long form.

“In most magazines, a piece is just 500 to 900 words, and this might be one of the reasons many contributors don’t come forward to write. We don’t follow this. If you are passionate about something and give us a 20-page article, we publish it,” he says.

Subscription net

Akshar Sangaatha, launched in 2018, celebrated its third anniversary earlier this year. The subscription model has helped it stay afloat, says editor Goravara. “Thankfully we didn’t have to face many financial challenges. We did have to miss an edition because of postal restrictions, but we tried to make up for it by bringing out a special edition,” he says.

Ithal believes a little magazine can survive on just subscriptions if it gets about 2,000 on its list. “That is our goal,” he explains. Rutha also goes out to universities and libraries across the state, and is not available on the stands.

Future online?

For Ananya Kalasinchana, now also available as an Android app, shifting online has come with its own problems. “While younger subscribers have adapted to it easily, older readers find it hard to read on the phone, and not many have access to laptops and computers,” Raghavendra says.

Rutha plans to launch its e-version soon. “We will not be stopping our print edition, this will be in addition to it,” says Ithal. However, he believes nothing can compare to the joy of reading in print.

Goravara agrees print is something “we should not let die.” Even if Akshar Sangaatha does go online, print is what is demanded by universities and libraries across the country, he says.

Sangaatha’s subscriptions have doubled from 800 in 2018 to 1,600 in 2021. Goravara was honoured as a DH Changemaker in 2021.

Labour of love

Little magazines feature high-quality articles by well-known writers. They also encourage fresh writers and explore themes often ignored by the mainstream press. The editing and office are managed by passionate volunteers.

Feisty efforts

Akshar Sangaatha: Literary journal, four editions a year. Edited by T S Goravara. Published from Dharwad. Annual subscription: Rs 600. Contact: [e-mail]

Rutha: Arts and politics monthly. Edited by Madhava Ithal, Santosh Naik and Sushma Kashyap. Published from Bengaluru. Annual subscription: Rs 600. Contact: [e-mail]

Matukate: Arts and culture quarterly, with a focus on theatre. Edited by Madhava Chipale. Published from Heggodu, Shivamogga district. Annual subscription: Rs 100. Visit: ninasam.org

Ananya Kalasinchana: Classical music and dance monthly. Edited by R V Raghavendra and Pramila Bai. Published from Bengaluru. Free online magazine. Contact: [e-mail]