Yash Tiwari is just 18 years old but he has already made a name for himself by delivering multiple TED Talks at the renowned platform of TEDx 18. He is also named the youngest published novelist for his debut novel, A Celebration In Tribulation, written at the age of 16. During Covid-19, as the world is battling the deadly virus, Yash decided to give a heartfelt tribute to all the corona warriors through his new book, Pandemic 2020: Rife of the Virus, believed to be the first novel on the ongoing pandemic. Excerpts of the interview:
Q: Tell us about ‘Pandemic 2020: Rife Of The Virus’ and what inspired you to write this book?
A: Well, I can say that this is my tribute to the unsung tales of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. I felt the need to pen it down to pay my tribute to the ones who fought and are still fighting against this yet-incurable flu. That was the primary inspiration to write this novel.
Q: Why did you choose a pandemic to write a book on?
A: Though Covid is the main foundation of my book, the focus still remains on the human emotions, societal practices and ideologies, the rights and wrongs of this world. We even have a diverse array of topics such as racism, sexism, poverty, domestic violence, orthodoxy, and much more.
Q: When did you first realise that you wanted to write a book?
A: With my debut novel, A Celebration in Tribulation that I had written two years back at the age of 16, the realisation dawned upon me a little differently. I was well-invested in the field of writing and literature. However, I had this aspiration to take that up to a greater notch. That is when I decided to pen down my first novel before the beginning of my 12th standard.
Q: What challenges did you face while writing this book?
A: As I said, I was writing it all down while it was unfolding in the real world, so I was essentially living through the traumas of the characters that I was writing about on a psychological level. I had to maintain the peace of mind while investing myself in a story.
Q: What in your opinion contributed to your success story?
A: I think it is mainly because of the deep-rooted passion I have to use my voice and my words.
Q: Whom do you admire among the authors?
A: The author whom I admire the most is George R.R. Martin and his book A Song Of Ice And Fire.
Q: Apart from being an author, you are also a motivational speaker. How did you manage so much at this young age?
A: I never really consider myself too young for any of my endeavours — be it my multiple TED talks, Josh Talk, or novels. All that I feel is a sense of dedication towards what I am passionate about.
Q: Do you have plans to widen your audience by getting translations of your work?
A: Absolutely! The Hindi translation in particular is something that I am eagerly looking out for.
Q: Your message to the youth to cope with challenges in life, especially in the time of Covid-19?
A: First, skill development is a major necessity for the youth of today. Second, by taking that first step towards whatever you’re passionate about, no matter how difficult it might seem like, work hard to achieve that.