Have a Safe Journey, a collection of short stories published by Amaryllis, is a collaborative initiative of the NHP Center along with the Indian Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and the Mahindra automobile group.
It is a unique attempt to move away from the normal discussions on road safety that usually deal with studies and statistics. Instead, with this anthology, the aim is to showcase the emotional and personal aspects of this subject that affects millions of Indians every year.
In doing so, it puts you in the metaphorical driver's seat, making you realize how vulnerable you really are and how small measures taken by you can save not just your lives but the ones of your loved ones and fellow citizens.
It is heartening to see no less than the Indian Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (with a special foreword by Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping) help in this aspect as they seek to use literature as a means to get the message through to readers of all ages.
Both Nitin Gadkari and author Tuhin Sinha talk of their personal near-death experiences following road traffic accidents and how it changed their perspectives.
The Mahindra group too partnered in this unique venture with Executive Chairman Anand Mahindra rightly discussing the importance of understanding the emotional and personal aspects of road traffic accidents instead of just numbers and statistics in his message.
My story 'The Good Samaritans' deals with an aspect of road safety closest to my medical profession - the golden hour a.k.a. the first hour after an accident during which time more than 50% of all road traffic accident victims can still be saved with proper measures... and a few good Samaritans.
It is wonderful as well to see fellow co-authors Arvind Passey and Dr Ketaki Patwardhan alongside me in this anthology; familiar fellow riders on our own literary highway.
Why it is Unique
Have A Safe Journey is the first anthology in the world that deals exclusively with the topic of road safety. The stories here are strong and heartfelt, dealing with themes of loss, missed chances, hope and redemption along the journey of these roads and highways.In doing so, it puts you in the metaphorical driver's seat, making you realize how vulnerable you really are and how small measures taken by you can save not just your lives but the ones of your loved ones and fellow citizens.
It is heartening to see no less than the Indian Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (with a special foreword by Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping) help in this aspect as they seek to use literature as a means to get the message through to readers of all ages.
Both Nitin Gadkari and author Tuhin Sinha talk of their personal near-death experiences following road traffic accidents and how it changed their perspectives.
The Mahindra group too partnered in this unique venture with Executive Chairman Anand Mahindra rightly discussing the importance of understanding the emotional and personal aspects of road traffic accidents instead of just numbers and statistics in his message.
Contributing Authors
Some of India's biggest literary names have contributed as well to this collection with the aim of helping instill the importance of road safety upon their fans and followers across the country. Popular authors who feature in this book:- Author and Screenplay writer Anand Neelkantan (Asura, the'Ajaya' and 'Baahubali' series)
- Bestselling author Ashwin Sanghi (Chanakya's Chant, the Krishna Key)
- TEDx speaker Kiran Manral (The Reluctant Detective, Once Upon a Crush)
- Commonwealth Short Story Asia Winner Shinie Anthony
- Senior editor & journalist Priyanka Sinha Jha
- BBC World Service journalist Pankaj Dubey
My Personal Connection
While I have been published in over 20 anthologies in the past, contributing to this book means a lot to me.My story 'The Good Samaritans' deals with an aspect of road safety closest to my medical profession - the golden hour a.k.a. the first hour after an accident during which time more than 50% of all road traffic accident victims can still be saved with proper measures... and a few good Samaritans.
It is wonderful as well to see fellow co-authors Arvind Passey and Dr Ketaki Patwardhan alongside me in this anthology; familiar fellow riders on our own literary highway.
Link to buy:
This unique venture #HaveASafeJourney, supported by the Indian Ministry of Road Transport and Highways along with the Mahindra Group, can be bought here on Amazon.Authors note:
I am taking My Alexa Rank to the next level with #MyFriendAlexa with BlogChatter. My current Alexa Traffic Rank (on 4th September 2017) is:
Global: 13,82,281
India: 62,263
An anthology with a noble motive. :-) I wish it the best, and will look to buy a copy soon.
ReplyDeleteI've read half the book till now (having received an advance copy) and trust me, these are wonderful stories. Quite emotional at times but really does speak of the various aspects of road safety
DeleteI would love to read the book. Thank you for sharing the post. I wish you all the very best for the future ventures.
ReplyDeleteThanks Shamik :)
DeleteMaybe really good writers and popular writers will motivate people to read a book about road safety. It's a life and death subject so enticing people to read about it is a great idea.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea... using literature as a means to impart a social cause that can be life saving
DeleteThat's one very good book, Roshan! WIsh more people read it and learn to become responsible citizens. I liked the quote by Mr.Anand Mahindra. Instead of grumbling about roads etc, we ought to do our best while using the roads. It's very simple, but people fail to understand simple things, I feel. :)
ReplyDeletetrue. It is something we really need to consider. Yes, I crib about the terrible roads I take to work but then I too have a civic duty to not break the basic rules of safety while driving
Delete20 anthologies!! You are awe-inspiring, Roshan. And this one is for such a noble cause!! Looking forward to read this book.
ReplyDeleteThanks... I remember thinking after the 1st one got published if I would ever get a chance again. Happy to look back upon that day now and see where I've reached today
Delete20 anthologies is inspiring. Loved the concept of this one. Having lost a loved one to an accident I can understand how important and helpful this can be to others. I am buying this. And Congrats on been part of this initiative. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks. Sorry for your loss. You will find this is a really standard anthology.
DeleteSuch a noble initiative. Congrats on the new book and 20 anthologies!! Wow!! Many more and novels too :)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, Roshan. This book is the need of the hour, great initiative. I have to get this book soon. Best of luck for your future books, a full fledged novel this time :) You are an excellent writer.
ReplyDeleteCongrats Doc for adding a new leaf to your incredible writing journey and contributing to road safety.
ReplyDeleteReally like the title of the book. Sounds interesting and useful too. Its read can be helpful for learning safety measures while on road. Want to read such stories. Thanks for the review
ReplyDeleteReally like the title of the book. Sounds interesting and useful too. Its read can be helpful for learning safety measures while on road. Want to read such stories. Thanks for the review
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete