Truth about fiction

Manu Joseph, debut novelist, says that journalism is a high form of literature

You might put it all down to attitude. When journalist Manu Joseph moved to Bombay (now Mumbai), having been promised office accommodation, and found himself living in a chawl, he might have grumbled a bit. He doesn't say so. But he obviously put his experience there to good use. And now that his debut novel, Serious Men — brought out by Fourth Estate — whose protagonist is a chawl dweller, has simultaneously been published in the U.S., Britain and India, translated into a number of languages, including French, Danish, Serbian and German, and received critical acclaim, he might just be glad for the opportunity to observe life close-up in one of the beehives Mumbai is famous for housing its lesser privileged multitudes in.

It seems more and more noted journalists are turning to fiction. Joseph points out that writing the novel “was not an escalation” for him, because “journalistic writing is very challenging,” and is affronted when people consider journalism to be less of an art than, say, fiction writing. “I think it's very unfair that journalism is not considered literature,” remarks the author, who has held senior positions in the features sections of leading Indian newspapers and journals. “I believe that journalism, when done well, is a very high form of literature, especially feature writing.”

Full report here Hindu