Adding a funny touch to stories on the financial crisis

Adding a funny touch to stories on the financial crisis

P G Bhaskar is a Dubai-based banker and author. His first book Jack Patel’s Dubai Dreams was released in 2011 and his second and most recent book Jack is back in Corporate Carnival was released a few months back. He loves cricket and enjoys quizzing. Both his books are based on business and he has the knack of telling a story in a light and funny tone.

NR: What got you interested in becoming an author? Is it something that just happened or a long time dream?

PGB: I used to write articles. I still do. Writing a book was another step down that road, I guess. I wouldn’t quite describe it as a ‘dream’, but yes it was a ‘will be nice to do’ kind of thought in my mind.

NR: What inspired you to write and how did you go about it?

PGB: Well, I was without a job at that time. I suppose opportunities surround us all the time, but we see them better when it gets dark. I had the time and I enjoyed writing. I liked the whole process of analysing and crystallising one’s thoughts, forming words, refining them, polishing the sentences, and finally culminating in the warm and satisfying glow of having effectively dealt with the subject.

NR: Is there a particular reason you chose to write on business?

PGB: The financial crisis of 2008 was a powerful story and it was whirling around in my head at that time. In my debut novel Jack Patel’s Dubai Dreams, I chose to deal with it in my own light-hearted style, rather than tackle it in a serious way.

NR: You work as a banker. How do you handle both working and authoring at the same time?

PGB: Well, most of us have hobbies that we make time for. Mine is writing.

NR: Both the novels are based on business. How much of them is real?

PGB: Some of it! I will leave it to the reader to judge how much and which parts.

NR: This is National Novel Writing Month, where everyone is encouraged to write a novel of 50,000 words. Do you have any words of encouragement for budding authors?

PGB: I have only two books under my belt. Im a budding author myself and need plenty of encouragement.

NR: Do you plan to write any more books? If yes, what topics are you planning to cover?

PGB: I would certainly like to and have already gone some way towards doing that. But it’s a tough field. It can be frustrating and it offers limited rewards relative to the time you put in. Besides, there are many parties involved in the process. So, I’m under no illusion.

NR: Who is your favorite author?

PGB: I’ve always loved P G Wodehouse; his language, his characters, the situations that he conjures up in his stories and the delightful little world that he has created for us to revel in.

NR: Different authors have different techniques of writing. King sits down to work between 8 and 8:30 in the same seat with his papers arranged on his desk in the same way, while Murakami sticks to a specific daily schedule that begins at 4 am when he awakes, he writes for five or six hours, then either runs 10km or swims 1,500 metres. Do you have any such schedule?

PGB: My scheduling is limited to my day job which is what pays my bills. As far as my hobby goes, I write when I can. But if there is work to be done, I will find time for it. I think I have an inbuilt guilt mechanism which doesn’t let me procrastinate beyond a point.

NR: Who is your typical readership group?

PGB: Being less than two years old as an author, I’m still trying to figure out these things. What I do find is that my second book Jack is Back in Corporate Carnival appears to reach out to a younger readership, relative to my first book.

NR: Could you also tell me a little bit about yourself? What are your interests and hobbies?

PGB: I have some interest in quizzing. I like reading. To give me joy, a book has to either be humorous, or very charmingly, magically written. I follow cricket and enjoy Hindi films and old Hindi songs.

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The New Indian Express
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