I wrote this (elsewhere) back at the time of Shashi Tharoor's last visit to Silverfish and thought I'd stick it in here as a little trailer to his second visit:Margaret Atwood writes in Negotiating With The Dead:Shashi is reading at Silverfish again 6.30 tomorrow evening (Tuesday 25th). He's really good value, so try to make it.... There's an epigram tacked to my office bulletin board, pinched from a magazine - "Wanting to meet an an author because you like his work is like wanting to meet an author because you like pate."Well, meeting an author is precisely what I did yesterday. A coup for Raman who managed to get Indian writer Shashi Tharoor to come along and read from his books and do a short q&a afterwards. This guy is immensely popular in India, particularly for The Great Indian Novel which parodies the Mahabarata and is a hilarious send-up of modern Indian history. Nice looking guy, looking much much younger than his 48 years (how dare he be younger than me and have written so much!) with a fringe of hair he kept flicking self-consciously out of his eyes, and strange, pale eyes. (In other words, the duck was quite tasty, never mind the pate.) He read beautifully, putting on all the different voices: the British resident and the Gandhi-like character who leads the great crowd in the mango march (as opposed of course to the salt-march which was the beginning of the end for the British in India.) Even when you're an adult you enjoy being read to!
And it's quite inspiring that he mananges to write so much, despite the day job: he's actually Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information for the UN, and just happened to be in town for a conference on the role of the media.
He signed a copy of his book for me. I signed a copy of "my" book for him. We snapped a photo together in which we're both laughing like hyenas. (And no, you're not seeing it.)
Update:
I can't make it to the reading! Gotta go to the airport tonight. So sorry that your reporter-on-the-spot has to let you down but I hope someone else can go along and blog it.
Another Update
Deepika Shetty of Channel News Asia writes about Shashi Tharoor's bid for top UN post here.
10 comments:
It's too bad. No way I can make it there after work... shall look forward to your report (as always!).
Tomorrow, not Wednesday?
tomorrow. i just rechecked the website.
Wow, he looks like a Bollywood heartthrob. Can't make it tomorrow but please, write on it if you'll be there tomorrow.
BTW, I have a story on my blog which may interest you.
Hi Sharon! Thanks for your trailer on Sashi and I must try my best to meet him.
I haven't read his books but enjoyed the occasional pieces he wrote for Newsweek (the "Letter from..." column), so much that I filed them up. Also read other articles from his website.
And yes, those who can't attend can always rely on your reporting :) And pix too, yah...
i feel so responsible now ... will have to drag my poor jet-lagged sister along!!
Warning! I just called Pek Chin about it, and she said they may start at 6pm. So come early.
Not sure if I can make it. Swamped as it is, but will try. I might need the inspiration to START writing something.
as your writing guru i say
never wait for inspiration! just write ...
i just had a blog entry written -about him being nominated for UN sec gen post but for some reason can't post it on my blog due to some computer problem...but i'll try to come to his reading at silverfish tommorrow...
by the way, i hope he gets the top UN post though i'm pessimistic that he can do anything much to solve the world political problems especially the mid east mess... but it'd be good for a writer to try something different...may be...
despite the day job, or because of the day job ? :)
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