Age has nothing to do with good writing: Shashi Tharoor

Sharjah - The father-son duo interacted with over 1,700 students from 20 schools across the UAE and gave them writing tips.

It was a jam-packed hall at the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) when Indian politician and author Shashi Tharoor, and his son, writer Kanishk Tharoor, addressed the audience on Monday.
The father-son duo interacted with over 1,700 students from 20 schools across the UAE and gave them writing tips.
Tharoor senior spoke about the power of writing and how to enhance it. "Words and language are the best tools to achieve your passion. I believe it is the best way to express one's thoughts. If you are a good orator or a writer, you can reach a million hearts and minds."
A proud father and an inspiration for budding writers, Tharoor senior applauded his son's work and explained how age and good writing are unrelated. A writer needs creative imagination, wisdom, insightful language and good writing style, he noted, and a successful or good author cannot be judged by his age.
Tharoor junior, who is a writer, columnist and journalist, also feels that a good piece of writing can leave a big impact on people and society.
On asking how and when he started writing, Kanishk said: "I grew up in a house full of books. We were introduced to reading at a young age. So, I started writing from a very early stage."
He added, "Unlike today's generation, we had fewer distractions in our childhood in terms of technology or social networking."
Lastly, they highlighted that a successful writer must be measured by the richness of his or her content and not the number of copies of sold. Shashi Tharoor pointed out that Mahatma Gandhi never won a Nobel prize, while there are 7 Nobel laureates who are Gandhians.
An Indian passion
"I genuinely believe in trying to make a difference and I always had a passion for India, though I have lived abroad most of my life. This is the country I care about. My recent release is about how the British took one of the richest countries in the world and reduced it to the poorest country in the world. Almost every industry in India, including textile, steel, and shipping suffered that time."
He was referring to his latest book, An Era of Darkness: The British Empire in India.
Students from all over the UAE attended the inspiring session and had plenty of questions for the duo.
 anikta@khaleejtimes.com 

• Sharjah International Book Fair