Literary Arts Crisis Deepens Amid Federal Grant Cuts, Philanthropy Urged

Literary arts and literature face significant challenges in the contemporary era, marked by declining readership, reduced cultural prominence, and financial hardships for writers and organizations. David Brooks highlights the decline in literary fiction's cultural role since the 20th century, noting that literary novels no longer achieve bestseller status and literature's diminished influence dehumanizes culture. Meanwhile, federal grant cuts in the U.S. have severely impacted literary nonprofits, small publishers, and educational programs, threatening the infrastructure that supports the art of words, which played a crucial role in political and social resistance movements during President Donald Trump's administration. In India, the quiet cessation of the lucrative JCB Prize for Literature reflects broader struggles in sustaining arts patronage amid reduced public appreciation, with the prize's financial support previously offering writers vital economic stability. Despite these challenges, some writers and literary figures persist in nurturing their craft and contributing to cultural discourse, underscoring the ongoing tensions between artistic ambition and economic realities. The crisis in literary arts calls for renewed investment and support to preserve literature’s role as a conscience and cultural cornerstone.