World News | Recreating Success of 'Ikigai' with Another Book Almost Impossible: Author Francesc Miralles
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. Nearly a decade since the success of international bestseller "Ikigai", co-author Francesc Miralles doubts if he'll ever supersede or even match its impact, much like how author Arundhati Roy can't replicate the popularity of "The God of Small Things" or music band The Rolling Stones can't produce another "Satisfaction".
New Delhi, Feb 18 (PTI) Nearly a decade since the success of international bestseller "Ikigai", co-author Francesc Miralles doubts if he'll ever supersede or even match its impact, much like how author Arundhati Roy can't replicate the popularity of "The God of Small Things" or music band The Rolling Stones can't produce another "Satisfaction".
The self-help book, originally written for "Japan lovers" or a "specialised audience", was translated into 60 languages and became a worldwide phenomenon, claiming top spot among all bestsellers in India -- both non-fiction and fiction -- for two years on the trot.
"Before becoming a writer, I worked for others as a publisher and editor, and I understood very well the dynamics of success. If an author achieves huge success, they won't be able to repeat it. Arundhati Roy became very famous in Spain with 'The God of Small Things', and everybody had this book. I had this book from that time. It is almost impossible for her to have a success bigger than that.
"It happens in every aspect and in every kind of art. The Rolling Stones can make new records, but when they go on stage, they will have to sing 'Satisfaction'. 'Ikigai' is my 'Satisfaction'," Miralles told PTI at the sidelines of recently concluded Kerala Literature Festival (KLF).
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"The God of Small Things", the debut novel of Roy, won the coveted Booker Prize in 1997, and "Satisfaction", the iconic hit by The Rolling Stones, remains one of the first songs that come to mind when discussing the English Rock band, even after six decades of its release.
'Ikigai' is a Japanese word for 'a reason to live' or 'a reason to jump out of bed in the morning'. The book, which has sold over 1.5 million copies and is widely credited for giving currency to the word globally, follows the lives of centenarians in the Japanese island Okinawa.
Having first visited India in 1999, the Spanish author describes the country and its people as one of his "favorites", a place that has stayed in his mind and heart since his youth — more so than even Japan, a country he has travelled a dozen times but never lived in and doesn't believe he ever will.
The 55-year-old, who initially aspired to be a novelist like Haruki Murakami, wrote his first novel in India, titled "Perdut a Bombai" (Lost in Bombay).
"I have grown up reading lots of books on Buddha, books by Rudyard Kipling and Jiddu Krishnamurthy. I was interested in different masters, and I felt all these ideas. It was in 1999 when I came to India for the first time.
"It was a very special moment in my life; I had left my job and become a freelancer. I wanted to know what to do with my life because I had no money, no house, nothing. Then, I used my last money to come to India. I was in India when I wrote my first book. I spent two months living very cheaply," he added.
His latest book, "The Four Purusharthas: The Path to Happiness Success and a Meaningful Life", co-authored with Hector Garcia, digs into some of the oldest and greatest spiritual practices of Hinduism to explain how the four 'Purusharthas' — 'Artha' (wealth), 'Kama' (desire), 'Dharma' (righteousness) and 'Moksha' (liberation) — can awaken one's purpose, free them from stress and fear, and help find lasting peace.
Despite achieving immense success with his non-fiction works, Miralles confesses that he has a special fondness for fiction. It's no coincidence that he has written over a dozen novels, which he admits are more challenging to write than non-fiction.
"I have carried two different versions of myself as a writer, and writing fiction for me is much more difficult because you need a point of view, you need to create characters, you need the evolution of the psychology of characters, turning points, and cliffhangers. When I write a book like 'Ikigai', it is like flowing; for me, there is no distance between my thoughts and the paper.
"Sometimes I write novels, but most of them nobody knows I have written. It is my alternative life," he explained, adding that he has written under multiple pseudonyms while working as an editor.
Miralles' other bestselling books include "The Book of Ichigo Ichie" and "Shinrin Yoku: The Rejuvenating Practice of Forest Bathing”.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)