I think that I should do away with my cynic hat. A friend recently told me that cynicism and I do not go together. It is more like party shoes on me. May be I would take her advice.
However, the reason for this sudden epiphany is a small feature in the recent issue of Outlook (October 30). There was this article on David Godwin coming down to India and picking the budding literary talent in India. For those who tuned in late, David the person who has been credited with the discovery of Arundhati Roy, Kiran Desai and Ben Okri (all Booker prize winners) amongst 60 others. His agency finds the right publisher, price and other terms of engagement for authors. David Godwin Associates boasts of authors who have churned potential classics/chart toppers many times over.
On his recent trip to India he picked up another author – a certain Anuradha Vijayakrishnan. While I skimmed through the article, the name kept coming back to me. It sounded very familiar. Somewhere down the line, the article said that Anu is a banker based out of Chennai. Yes, of course, I knew her. And most of the people based out of the Citibank CHR (Club house road) office would know her well. She was the AVP from Cards Credit policy team. It was so wonderful to learn that she managed to preserve her passion all through the years. At this point in time, I am of the opinion that it takes a lot to keep that inner flame burning. Though this sounds nothing less than magical to me, I know that it would have taken a lot of effort and pains from her end to get to this point. I think many of us at the quarter life crises of our lives can take heart in this.
Anu, Congratulations! Wish you all the very best with your future as a writer. Hope to see your book on the stands soon!
However, the reason for this sudden epiphany is a small feature in the recent issue of Outlook (October 30). There was this article on David Godwin coming down to India and picking the budding literary talent in India. For those who tuned in late, David the person who has been credited with the discovery of Arundhati Roy, Kiran Desai and Ben Okri (all Booker prize winners) amongst 60 others. His agency finds the right publisher, price and other terms of engagement for authors. David Godwin Associates boasts of authors who have churned potential classics/chart toppers many times over.
On his recent trip to India he picked up another author – a certain Anuradha Vijayakrishnan. While I skimmed through the article, the name kept coming back to me. It sounded very familiar. Somewhere down the line, the article said that Anu is a banker based out of Chennai. Yes, of course, I knew her. And most of the people based out of the Citibank CHR (Club house road) office would know her well. She was the AVP from Cards Credit policy team. It was so wonderful to learn that she managed to preserve her passion all through the years. At this point in time, I am of the opinion that it takes a lot to keep that inner flame burning. Though this sounds nothing less than magical to me, I know that it would have taken a lot of effort and pains from her end to get to this point. I think many of us at the quarter life crises of our lives can take heart in this.
Anu, Congratulations! Wish you all the very best with your future as a writer. Hope to see your book on the stands soon!
6 comments:
Maine to life mein kam kitaabein padhi hain. Woh bhi booker. aur yaar if u use words like epiphany to dictionary kholni padti hai...
Waise dil se likhe ho...
Very nice indeed. But I wonder do you have to be an AVP to get noticed. I do not want to undermine her achievement in anyway. But still...you got to have contacts for all this.
Actually the converse is true. It is more difficult to get noticed if you are an AVP. Years of work blunts the creative edge for sure. And you resign yourself to runnning on the corporate tread mill. A normal corporate job and the creative career usually do not go together. This makes her achievement really special.
Yes, you need to have the right contacts for almost everything (apart from some luck!).
Writing is not a passion/hobby that blunts over the years. Hobbies like dancing, singing or sports might still blunt off because you need to practice lots to maintain a certain level of competence. Actually writer's skill level and the ease with which they express their thoughts actually improves with age. Philosphers peak at the age of 64 on average.
I am not trying to put her down, but I think had she been a bank clerk she would be not known at all or even considered. Its all about knowing the right people and strong lobbying. I am bored sitting in a class...so there you go
Your writing prowess might not blunt. It might actually improve.
But your will to write reduces when you are stuck in the routine of life. The "will" tends to get lost as the grime of Jobs, kids, dhoodwala, bai etc. settle on it. I am not talking about the skill. I am just talking about the passion to write.
And yes, no denying the contacts aspect! Never hurts to have the right contacts
I agree with parle here, having personally experienced both actually. Your will to write dies the easier death. But all that will needs is a muse.
Whats more frustrating is the lack of words to express your style and ideas. Business communication hardly requires you to use clever double negatives or deep puns and metaphors.
So yes writing poweress does blunt with time, unless you write. Just like practising swimming or dancing! Btw, being an AVP is not too time consuming though! Guess I watched the wrong sister! :-)
But none the less is she has been working for a while, then her achievement has my deepest respect.
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