MARK TULLY
Mark Tully, writer, on writing, self-importance and calling it quits
Q. Let’s start with your latest fiction offering, Upcountry Tales: Once Upon a Time in the Heart of India. A. It’s a continuation of short stories from my book The Heart of India written two decades ago. The idea of writing stories from the centre of the gigantic plains has always fascinated me, for I consider it the cultural heart of India.
Q. At a time when memoirs are flooding bookstores, what is holding you back?
A. Well, I have always felt that memoirs are a stupid assumption of one’s own importance. I have no such notion about myself, though. You know, I am not even sure if I want to write anymore. I have penned down so much already.
Q. But India keeps you fascinated?
A. Of course! One of the reasons being, our family goes back a long way here. We have been around here since 1840. Also, Indian religions, literature and philosophy are endearing. I have been awestruck by India’s potential, and also wondered about the reasons why the country is not succeeding.
Q. So much talk of censorship, shrinking liberal space under the present regime…
A. Not as bad as during Emergency. But when a media group gets a Rs 100 crore notice on a straightforward story, and income tax and CBI can chase people or organisations critical of the establishment’s views, a dark scenario is foreseen.