Mr Manu Joseph, an Indian journalist and author, encouraged the students to listen and follow their own voices and not completely get swayed by other people's ideas in an inspiring lecture interspersed with wit and wisdom at the GIIS Leadership Lecture Series held at the SMART Campus in April 2019. 

Mr Joseph delivered a keynote speech in which he spoke about how important it is for everyone to follow their own ideas rather than getting swayed by motivational speeches. He said that “adolescents are the most serious people” as unlike adults they do not mask their original ideas and express what they actually feel. He also said that “the moment we try to pretend like others we become confused.”

The message seems relevant for the students of this digital age who easily get swayed by other people’s ideas and achievements shared on social media.

Following his speech, Mr Joseph shared the stage with student panellists who posed a number of interesting questions to him regarding his opinion on literature, social media, his inspirations, etc. On being asked about his motivation to become a writer, he responded that he was never inclined towards subjects like Math and Science and wanted to do something where he can be entirely honest. He chose to writing as a profession because it is a way of self-expression. To explain this idea to the digital age students he said that “writing is like a selfie”, it’s a true reflection of who the writer is and what his ideas are.

Another question that was asked by the panellists and is very relevant in today’s times was about the difference in good and bad journalism. To this Mr Joseph replied that till the time a journalist is reporting facts, there will be no bad journalism.

After the Q and A session, the budding writers of GIIS read excerpts from their stories published in An Artist’s Creed and Other Tales, a book of short stories authored by GIIS students, published in-house.

Mr Joseph was a former editor of OPEN magazine and a columnist for The International New York Times and The Hindustan Times. He has authored Miss Laila, Armed and Dangerous, The Illicit Happiness of Other People and Serious Men.

In the end, the noted journalist and author was felicitated by Mr Rajeev Katyal, the Deputy COO and Country Director of Global Schools Foundation. Students also presented him with a copy of the book, An Artist’s Creed and Other Tales.