The son has risen in the literary horizon with 'Swimmer in the Stars', a collection of short stories. Kanishk Tharoor, New York-based writer and son of Congress MP and author Shashi Tharoor, has grown beyond his surname while his work is clearly a departure from traditional storytelling. In the city for the 'Bangalore Literature Festival', Kanishk took time out to share his thoughts with Anupama Ramakrishnan on how books and places have shaped him, his latest work and what's on the cards.
You grew up in the company of books — Indian mythology among others... How has that influenced you?
I was fortunate to grow up in a family that is obsessed with books. They were very much part of our upbringing. My mother is a professor of literature and my father is a writer; so it always felt like something essential — thanks to my parents. Also thanks a bit to our upbringing in this slightly international milieu of the schools we went to, both in Geneva where we very small, and then in New York and also in Kolkata.
I remember as kids, we had condensed 'Mahabharat' which we loved reading. My brother and I are twins, so we were always sort of sympathetic to the underdogs — the neglected Nakul and Sahadev. My mother would also read to us from 'Shahnameh', the Persian epic. Because of the books we inherited from our parents, we have, as many people of our generation have, this reservoir of children's books in English like Enid Blyton, Biggless, Asterix comics. The habit of reading began for us, as a result, at a pretty young age and the idea that at all times you must be having a book by your bedside table - that began at a young age. We were lucky in growing up in a setting where reading from various kind of literatures was a familiar thing to do.
Do you remember what you wrote first...
Yes, my brother and I would write on this old, sort of blue screen, word processer on my parents' old computer. Predictably as boys, we were obsessed with things like war and fighting. I remember writing a story at quite a young age — six or seven — very happily and proudly about a naval commander in the Mauryan empire (laughs). Slowly, I think my writing matured, it isn't just about things like warriors of the past.
'Swimmer in the stars' reflects the 'global citizen' of sorts in you?
I am an Indian citizen and have grown up outside of India most of my life. But I grew up in a way that in New York, I always felt like I was an Indian living in New York, and not kind of an aspirational American. Also, I have this upbringing in the UN family. But I think a lot of people, irrespective of that kind of globetrotting-enforced upbringing, are influenced and affected by the cultures and politics of places and connected to those things. My frame of reference is not bound by boundaries or time periods. The stories hop across boundaries and time. It's the way my imagination works. I always had an interest in the histories and realities in the places around the world. The stories I like telling can take place in various places, and in no place. I have deliberately not given them a specific time period or place.
How has it been balancing a journalistic career and being an author..
Right now, I am slightly more focussed on my fiction-writing. So it hasn't been too much of a struggle to find that balance. It's because I am working on a novel right now, its a nice change of rhythm to take a break from writing this novel — the kind of which I am finding seemingly interminable, agonising, quite tiring process without any periods of any satisfaction of finishing it. So it's nice to break that up with writing sort of discreet journalistic thesis. You know, you have moments of fulfilment and satisfaction. So far it's been not too difficult.'
It is said your work comes out between cups of tea. Is that your style of functioning?
(Laughs) It's not my style. My day-to-day life is punctuated by tea...so inadvertently it happens
Do you discuss your stories to your parents?
I am privileged to have encouraging and supporting parents. I value their opinions and their judgments. When I was younger, I wrestled with them too. I occasionally bounce my ideas of them, not every single day, but yes.
How is it being in the city?
Well, I have so many families here. It's a quick visit and I am trying to catch up with all the families we have here.
![]( "a way with words Kanishk Tharoor")
The son has risen in the literary horizon with 'Swimmer in the Stars’, a collection of short stories. Kanishk Tharoor, New York-based writer and son of Congress MP and author Shashi Tharoor, has grown beyond his surname while his work is clearly a departure from traditional storytelling. In the city for the 'Bangalore Literature Festival’, Kanishk took time out to share his thoughts with Anupama Ramakrishnan on how books and places have shaped him, his latest work and what’s on the cards.
You grew up in the company of books — Indian mythology among others... How has that influenced you?
I was fortunate to grow up in a family that is obsessed with books. They were very much part of our upbringing. My mother is a professor of literature and my father is a writer; so it always felt like something essential — thanks to my parents. Also thanks a bit to our upbringing in this slightly international milieu of the schools we went to, both in Geneva where we very small, and then in New York and also in Kolkata.
I remember as kids, we had condensed 'Mahabharat’ which we loved reading. My brother and I are twins, so we were always sort of sympathetic to the underdogs — the neglected Nakul and Sahadev. My mother would also read to us from 'Shahnameh’, the Persian epic. Because of the books we inherited from our parents, we have, as many people of our generation have, this reservoir of children’s books in English like Enid Blyton, Biggless, Asterix comics. The habit of reading began for us, as a result, at a pretty young age and the idea that at all times you must be having a book by your bedside table - that began at a young age. We were lucky in growing up in a setting where reading from various kind of literatures was a familiar thing to do.
Do you remember what you wrote first...
Yes, my brother and I would write on this old, sort of blue screen, word processer on my parents’ old computer. Predictably as boys, we were obsessed with things like war and fighting. I remember writing a story at quite a young age — six or seven — very happily and proudly about a naval commander in the Mauryan empire (laughs). Slowly, I think my writing matured, it isn’t just about things like warriors of the past.
'Swimmer in the stars’ reflects the 'global citizen’ of sorts in you?
I am an Indian citizen and have grown up outside of India most of my life. But I grew up in a way that in New York, I always felt like I was an Indian living in New York, and not kind of an aspirational American. Also, I have this upbringing in the UN family. But I think a lot of people, irrespective of that kind of globetrotting-enforced upbringing, are influenced and affected by the cultures and politics of places and connected to those things. My frame of reference is not bound by boundaries or time periods. The stories hop across boundaries and time. It’s the way my imagination works. I always had an interest in the histories and realities in the places around the world. The stories I like telling can take place in various places, and in no place. I have deliberately not given them a specific time period or place.
How has it been balancing a journalistic career and being an author..
Right now, I am slightly more focussed on my fiction-writing. So it hasn’t been too much of a struggle to find that balance. It’s because I am working on a novel right now, its a nice change of rhythm to take a break from writing this novel — the kind of which I am finding seemingly interminable, agonising, quite tiring process without any periods of any satisfaction of finishing it. So it’s nice to break that up with writing sort of discreet journalistic thesis. You know, you have moments of fulfilment and satisfaction. So far it’s been not too difficult.’
It is said your work comes out between cups of tea. Is that your style of functioning?
(Laughs) It’s not my style. My day-to-day life is punctuated by tea...so inadvertently it happens
Do you discuss your stories to your parents?
I am privileged to have encouraging and supporting parents. I value their opinions and their judgments. When I was younger, I wrestled with them too. I occasionally bounce my ideas of them, not every single day, but yes.
How is it being in the city?
Well, I have so many families here. It’s a quick visit and I am trying to catch up with all the families we have here.
You grew up in the company of books — Indian mythology among others... How has that influenced you?
I was fortunate to grow up in a family that is obsessed with books. They were very much part of our upbringing. My mother is a professor of literature and my father is a writer; so it always felt like something essential — thanks to my parents. Also thanks a bit to our upbringing in this slightly international milieu of the schools we went to, both in Geneva where we very small, and then in New York and also in Kolkata.
I remember as kids, we had condensed 'Mahabharat' which we loved reading. My brother and I are twins, so we were always sort of sympathetic to the underdogs — the neglected Nakul and Sahadev. My mother would also read to us from 'Shahnameh', the Persian epic. Because of the books we inherited from our parents, we have, as many people of our generation have, this reservoir of children's books in English like Enid Blyton, Biggless, Asterix comics. The habit of reading began for us, as a result, at a pretty young age and the idea that at all times you must be having a book by your bedside table - that began at a young age. We were lucky in growing up in a setting where reading from various kind of literatures was a familiar thing to do.
Do you remember what you wrote first...
Yes, my brother and I would write on this old, sort of blue screen, word processer on my parents' old computer. Predictably as boys, we were obsessed with things like war and fighting. I remember writing a story at quite a young age — six or seven — very happily and proudly about a naval commander in the Mauryan empire (laughs). Slowly, I think my writing matured, it isn't just about things like warriors of the past.
'Swimmer in the stars' reflects the 'global citizen' of sorts in you?
I am an Indian citizen and have grown up outside of India most of my life. But I grew up in a way that in New York, I always felt like I was an Indian living in New York, and not kind of an aspirational American. Also, I have this upbringing in the UN family. But I think a lot of people, irrespective of that kind of globetrotting-enforced upbringing, are influenced and affected by the cultures and politics of places and connected to those things. My frame of reference is not bound by boundaries or time periods. The stories hop across boundaries and time. It's the way my imagination works. I always had an interest in the histories and realities in the places around the world. The stories I like telling can take place in various places, and in no place. I have deliberately not given them a specific time period or place.
How has it been balancing a journalistic career and being an author..
Right now, I am slightly more focussed on my fiction-writing. So it hasn't been too much of a struggle to find that balance. It's because I am working on a novel right now, its a nice change of rhythm to take a break from writing this novel — the kind of which I am finding seemingly interminable, agonising, quite tiring process without any periods of any satisfaction of finishing it. So it's nice to break that up with writing sort of discreet journalistic thesis. You know, you have moments of fulfilment and satisfaction. So far it's been not too difficult.'
It is said your work comes out between cups of tea. Is that your style of functioning?
(Laughs) It's not my style. My day-to-day life is punctuated by tea...so inadvertently it happens
Do you discuss your stories to your parents?
I am privileged to have encouraging and supporting parents. I value their opinions and their judgments. When I was younger, I wrestled with them too. I occasionally bounce my ideas of them, not every single day, but yes.
How is it being in the city?
Well, I have so many families here. It's a quick visit and I am trying to catch up with all the families we have here.
The son has risen in the literary horizon with 'Swimmer in the Stars’, a collection of short stories. Kanishk Tharoor, New York-based writer and son of Congress MP and author Shashi Tharoor, has grown beyond his surname while his work is clearly a departure from traditional storytelling. In the city for the 'Bangalore Literature Festival’, Kanishk took time out to share his thoughts with Anupama Ramakrishnan on how books and places have shaped him, his latest work and what’s on the cards.You grew up in the company of books — Indian mythology among others... How has that influenced you?
I was fortunate to grow up in a family that is obsessed with books. They were very much part of our upbringing. My mother is a professor of literature and my father is a writer; so it always felt like something essential — thanks to my parents. Also thanks a bit to our upbringing in this slightly international milieu of the schools we went to, both in Geneva where we very small, and then in New York and also in Kolkata.
I remember as kids, we had condensed 'Mahabharat’ which we loved reading. My brother and I are twins, so we were always sort of sympathetic to the underdogs — the neglected Nakul and Sahadev. My mother would also read to us from 'Shahnameh’, the Persian epic. Because of the books we inherited from our parents, we have, as many people of our generation have, this reservoir of children’s books in English like Enid Blyton, Biggless, Asterix comics. The habit of reading began for us, as a result, at a pretty young age and the idea that at all times you must be having a book by your bedside table - that began at a young age. We were lucky in growing up in a setting where reading from various kind of literatures was a familiar thing to do.
Do you remember what you wrote first...
Yes, my brother and I would write on this old, sort of blue screen, word processer on my parents’ old computer. Predictably as boys, we were obsessed with things like war and fighting. I remember writing a story at quite a young age — six or seven — very happily and proudly about a naval commander in the Mauryan empire (laughs). Slowly, I think my writing matured, it isn’t just about things like warriors of the past.
'Swimmer in the stars’ reflects the 'global citizen’ of sorts in you?
I am an Indian citizen and have grown up outside of India most of my life. But I grew up in a way that in New York, I always felt like I was an Indian living in New York, and not kind of an aspirational American. Also, I have this upbringing in the UN family. But I think a lot of people, irrespective of that kind of globetrotting-enforced upbringing, are influenced and affected by the cultures and politics of places and connected to those things. My frame of reference is not bound by boundaries or time periods. The stories hop across boundaries and time. It’s the way my imagination works. I always had an interest in the histories and realities in the places around the world. The stories I like telling can take place in various places, and in no place. I have deliberately not given them a specific time period or place.
How has it been balancing a journalistic career and being an author..
Right now, I am slightly more focussed on my fiction-writing. So it hasn’t been too much of a struggle to find that balance. It’s because I am working on a novel right now, its a nice change of rhythm to take a break from writing this novel — the kind of which I am finding seemingly interminable, agonising, quite tiring process without any periods of any satisfaction of finishing it. So it’s nice to break that up with writing sort of discreet journalistic thesis. You know, you have moments of fulfilment and satisfaction. So far it’s been not too difficult.’
It is said your work comes out between cups of tea. Is that your style of functioning?
(Laughs) It’s not my style. My day-to-day life is punctuated by tea...so inadvertently it happens
Do you discuss your stories to your parents?
I am privileged to have encouraging and supporting parents. I value their opinions and their judgments. When I was younger, I wrestled with them too. I occasionally bounce my ideas of them, not every single day, but yes.
How is it being in the city?
Well, I have so many families here. It’s a quick visit and I am trying to catch up with all the families we have here.