Aby Tharakan

My love affair with words and deadlines began by dropping newspapers at doorsteps on chilly mornings riding a bicycle that broke down often. The cycle owner was a teenager from a below-the-sea-level village in the South Indian state of Kerala. My first attempt in publishing was as a 10-year-old. Before 18, I was threatened twice for the sake of journalism.

During my BA days, it was ‘Collage’ a college paper printed in a letter press. Photographs were converted into ‘blocks’ in a unit around 60 kilometers away.  Translated the biography of Che Guvera to Malayalam then.  I was also part of many National Service Scheme camp newspapers in college. I edited two weekly newspapers published for non-resident Indians in the United States  when  i touched a blue hunchback Apple  for the first time. For two years, I worked in a daily newspaper preparing its weekend magazine and children’s supplement. Wonderful time, it was. The highlights include translating Michael Jackson’s autobiography into Malayalam, an interview with Paulo Coelho etc.

My association with the first private newspaper in Bhutan,Bhutan Times in its formative years led me to other media ventures in this Himalayan country. It has been exciting times since, as the country and its young media passes through challenging times.

I have edited books and wrote for wire. Was on http://www.livejournal.com in the initial years of the blogging age. Appeared on True/Slant till it was swallowed by Forbes. This blog was created in May to transfer my contents from True/Slant.I also write on global mega trends affecting the the South Asia region for http://www.futurechallenges.org.

You can catch me here on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/abytharakan or email me at bluezebra@gmail.com