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Wednesday, September 02, 2015

Author Interview : Mohan Prasad, author of ‘Legacy' (Part 2)



Read on, the second part of the Mohan Prasad Interview. In this, he tells us what the most fulfilling part of writing 'Legacy' was, and also dishes out some advice to today's authors, and also gives us information on the next book, he has planned. He also tells us what he's reading currently and also his favourite authors, among others, Folks...


What is the most fulfilling part, now that you have written your book?

The most fulfilling part is seeing your work in front of you and in the hands of your near and dear ones. Getting appreciation from your colleagues really feels good. My favourite professor at IIT loved my book and could relate to the protagonist because her brother was an important part of Emergency protests. That really made my day.

One of my readers told me she is now keen to go back and read Indian history again, that seemed an accomplishment. It has also boosted my motivation to keep working on my other books.

Any advice to writers that would like to be published today? How tough is it to be published?

I have already mentored some budding writers. It is easy to empathize with them because I was among them only a few months ago. The advice I gave them is to be patient.

Mohan Prasad
Publishing can be really tricky, because it is a slow industry and editors, even though quite good at their work, might be wrong in assessing the value of your work.

Big publishers take their own sweet time to agree to publish your work and that is quite understandable, so at least for your first book you should be flexible with your publishing options.

Believe in your work, and it does help to get it edited professionally, because any work of artistry does need a neutral point of view.

Who was it that told you that you could become the author, you are today?

My brother. Though I was quite successful in most of my endeavours, I did need some encouragement for writing, because it can be a lonely pursuit at times.

My brother advised me to take a break from my professional career, drop my plans of a start-up and get on to writing, which was my real love. My family and friends believed in me, and in fact I also believed I could write well if I pursued it seriously.

What is the next book that you have planned?

My next book is on the Independence struggle. Two very important heroes (Subhash Chandra Bose and Indian National Army, as well as the 1857 mutiny by Nana Sahib are the major events discussed and compared along with their build ups and impacts. The characterisation is very novel to give it the look of fiction while keeping readers amused and interested.

Which book are you currently reading?

I have recently completed two books by Ashwin Sanghi : ‘The Krishna Key’ and ‘The Rozabal Line’. I am currently reading '20 Indian Innovators' by Akshat Agrawal and a collection of Russian short stories.

Who are your favourite authors and why?

Premchand, Malcolm Gladwell, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Salman Rushdie, Amitava Ghosh, Orhan Pamuk and UR Ananthamurthy, among many others. Most of them have dealt with the socio-political aspects of their regions quite vividly.

Amitava Ghosh
Premchand was probably India’s greatest writer, though he tends to make you sad. Ananthamurthy was a modern master, more deserving of the Nobel Prize in Literature than many others. Amitava Ghosh for his details and his selection of topics, while Marquez for his amazing fantasies that depict reality better than the reality itself.

What else do you do on a daily basis? 

I work full-time in education management, which is a passion. Reading is also more of passion than hobby and takes a lot of time.

I aspire to be an impactful social entrepreneur and I do take some small steps in that direction on and off.

What addtional advice do you have for people who are trying to debut, as well?

We all have artists and writers inside us. Some of us may be great with words, others may be great with performances or may be none of these.

But we all have stories to share and we all are moved by human stories, even though our preferred genre might vary. So, when you decide to write, I would just advise them to try to touch meaningful topics. We are the citizens of a vast land with a very rich culture and infinite stories covering all emotions. We need thousands of pens to bring those forth. Be a proud part of it and be true to your writing.


You can read the First Part of this Interview right here. You can also catch the Review and also Buy the Book right here.

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