Jeffery Archer Exclusive: "My Personal Hero Is RK Narayan, He Should Have Got The Nobel Prize"
In an exclusive tongue-in-cheek interview with NDTV, celebrated English novelist Jeffery Archer and Indian author and ex-diplomat Amish Tripathi opened up in a rather fun way about the first ever Archer-Amish Award. Jeffery Archer, whose latest work An Eye For An Eye took the literary world by storm, added all the 'just for laughs' moments to the interview.
Amish Tripathi, best known for the Shiva Trilogy, started off the interview saying, "First of all, what an honour to have my name associated with someone I've been a fan of since my school days." The author said he is humbled by his name being mentioned in the same breath as the iconic British novelist, who penned Kane And Abel (1979), Only Time Will Tell (2011) and The Sins of The Father (2012).
Jeffery Archer added life to the interaction, expressing his admiration for his Indian readership. "And the Indians-they're among the biggest readers on earth. India still loves books." He further spoke about his ultimate fandom for the Malgudi Days author, "And, of course, you've produced so many giants over the years. My personal hero is R.K. Narayan. What a storyteller! (He) should've got the Nobel Prize. Should have - unquestionably," he tells NDTV.
Dr. Shalini Mullick has been named the inaugural winner of the IGF Archer Amish Award for Storytellers. The honour has been presented in partnership with The House of Abhinandan Lodha at a ceremony held of day 1of IGF London being organised at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre. U.K. Minister for Culture Lisa Nandy presented a cheque of USD 25,000 to the winner for her novel, The Way Home.
Mullick's book was selected as the standout piece for its moving and relatable exploration of grief, identity and healing. It is a story of three millennials seeking refuge in Goa as they traverse through their personal demons and discover themselves and the strength in friendship.
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