Make books your constant companion, says author of recently released The Battle of Belonging at a Sharjah International Book Fair 2020 discission
Sharjah, November 07, 2020
Shashi Tharoor – author, Indian politician, and former international civil servant – who is also well known for his formidable vocabulary and penchant for unusual words, told an international virtual audience at the 39th Sharjah International Book Fair that his favourite word in his rich lexicon is: ‘Read’.
Shashi Tharoor
“I love the word ‘read’ because it is only by reading that you acquire all the other words,” said the eminent thinker and writer yesterday on the ‘Sharjah Reads’ global platform, urging the audience to have an active engagement with the written word. “It is important to read every single day, especially books, as it makes you appreciate the world and broaden your horizons.”
In a conversation with Anjana Sankar, Assistant Editor at Khaleej Times, Dr. Tharoor expressed his regret at not being able to attend SIBF this year, adding: “I love the crowds at Sharjah. There is always a tremendous turnout of large numbers of enthusiastic readers and the atmosphere at the book fair is fabulous.”
Commenting on his latest literary offering, The Battle of Belonging – published less than a fortnight ago on October 31, and explores concepts of nationalism, patriotism and citizenship – he said: “The book is a product of the many years reflection, but its fruition became possible only because of the concentrated time available during the recent lockdown to devote to both research and writing.”
Calling it his “magnum opus on the theory, evolution and practice of nationalism across the globe and especially in India”, he hoped its contents and the ideas represented in it will lead to intellectually stimulating and constructive discussions.
