It’s almost like a parallel universe, the world of the Civil Services exams. Many lakhs appear for an exam from which just a few hundred are selected. How do those who don’t get through feel? This is the setting for Once Upon an IAS Exam , the début English novel of Dr K Vijaykarthikeyan.
The Coimbatore Corporation Commissioner has three books to his credit already but this one is special.
“My earlier works were non-fiction,” he said at the launch of his book in Brookefields Mall on Saturday. “This is my first work of fiction. It’s a simple story; nothing very complicated. It is about a young man who does not clear the exam and is in despair. At this point, he also decides to confess his love for his best friend. It is a story of emotions but also has lots of humour.”
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The book is set in the IAS coaching centres of Chennai and is an accurate account of the stress and struggle that so many youngsters face when dealing with competitive exams in general.
Ashwin Balasubramaniam, COO of the mall, mentioned that Dr Vijaykarthikeyan had actually started writing this book in 2012. “Apart from his official duties, he published three other books in this time,” he said.
Dressed casually in a red t-shirt and trousers — a far cry from his usual formal look — the author interacted with audience after the launch. How much of the book was drawn from his life, asked one person. “While everything that happened is true, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it reflects my life,” was the reply.
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To another question on writer’s block, he responded that writing helped him wind down and de-stress. So writer’s block was not really an issue. The event ended with a book signing.
Once Upon An IAS Exam is published by Rupa and is priced at ₹195