Goodbye full time, Hello freelance

Though I am not given to soppy, soul-searching posts, I suppose there are times when life cries out for them. Up till a year ago, I was fairly certain I was going to spend the majority of my working life at The Economist Group, and now I find myself on the verge of leaving my job for the unpredictable world of freelancing. Easter Sunday is my last day.

Everybody has quibbles about their job; and life is no different here. Yet I think we have it better than most. Laissez faire culture; good work-life balance; stimulating environment for a writer; flat corporate structure; and lots of interesting work. (See my other post, “Our work at The Economist Group”.) Continue reading “Goodbye full time, Hello freelance”

Sudhir Thomas VadakethMarch 29, 2013January 20, 201411 Comments

Democracy, EIU, Europe, Freedom

CNA – Views on the News Mar 19th 2013

Dear friends, I appeared on CNA earlier this morning to talk about the proposed deposits levy in Cyprus, press regulation in the UK and, best of all, the return of David Bowie. Click here to watch. Continue reading CNA – Views on the News Mar 19th 2013

Sudhir Thomas VadakethMarch 19, 2013March 20, 2013Leave a comment

FOMB Book Blog, Malaysia, Singapore

Floating on a Malayan Breeze: US book tour, April 2013

Dear friends, as I enter my last two weeks at The Economist Group, am getting increasingly nostalgic. I’ve had a wonderful seven years here, the longest I’ve spent at any institution–so feel like I’m losing a small part of me.

Thankfully, as part of my transition to full-time writing, I’ve got a great trip to the US to look forward to. Am very happy that this book tour has come together, partly because the US remains the most important market for English-language writing. Exciting!

For all of you based in the US, I’d love to see you sometime, perhaps at one of these events. For those based elsewhere, if you have any friends in these cities who might be interested in Malaya or my writing, please do share this page with them. Tell them to come support a Malayan author 🙂 Continue reading “Floating on a Malayan Breeze: US book tour, April 2013”

Sudhir Thomas VadakethMarch 17, 2013March 31, 20131 Comment

Creativity, Freedom

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

A few months ago I finished this wonderful biography of Steve Jobs, who–along with Muhammad Ali–is, I reckon, the most inspirational figure in recent times. These are some of my favourite quotes from the book:

“The juice goes out of Christianity when it becomes too based on faith rather than on living like Jesus or seeing the world as Jesus saw it. I think different religions are different doors to the same house. Sometimes I think the house exists, and sometimes I don’t. It’s the great mystery.” Continue reading “Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson”

Sudhir Thomas VadakethMarch 17, 2013March 21, 20131 Comment