The Hindu : New Delhi News : Time for the final bow?

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Oct 16, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Time for the final bow?

By Mandira Nayar

NEW DELHI, OCT. 15. More than Half a Life later, it is probably time for one of the most celebrated Indian writers, V.S. Naipaul, to take a final bow. Scattering his Magic Seeds across continents, Sir Vidia's `last book' launch at the British Council here was an evening to remember old traditions and set some new ones, plenty of nostalgia and the end of an era in book writing.

Taking care to avoid ruffling feathers, he gave his audience a glimpse of the world of a writer with a good deal of humour. "The idea of launching a book is a new one. In the old days, the publishers published the book and that was it.

A couple of months later you would get a royalty statement, which you might crumple up in disgust as it had not moved much. Nowadays it is different. You don't have publicity departments, but publicists who take over your work. I think I preferred the old days when your books made their own way. The books I wrote in 1957, 1958 and 1959 are still alive. But it is better for a book to be a book.

Since it will be my last book, I think this is the last time I will stand here fumbling with the ribbon," he said.

While it might be his last attempt at writing a book, old habits seem to die hard. With Magic Seeds no longer "singing in his ear," it was a chance to see a rare side of the writer — creative and desperate to write, but lacking the "energy."

People don't write when they are 72. When I was young, I had tremendous energy and I used to write in the mornings, when the mind is sharp. Writing is a process and once you finish a book, you lose touch and you wonder how to get into it. If I get well and have the energy, how will I write again? Even if I don't write in the morning I think, but then it was for a purpose. But if there is nothing at the end, then it really would be pointless," he said.

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