The case of forgotten ‘Middles’ in newspapers

Vivek Atray's inspiring journey from civil servant to motivational speaker, author, and sports enthusiast resonates with the youth. He released his new and fifth book The Middle of Everything in March

Vivek Atray has enjoyed a pleasant journey of discovering ways to reach out to the youth of the country. After serving for 25 years, he quit the IAS in 2017 to pursue his passion for speaking and writing. From writing books and columns to organising sports and literature conclaves, his connection with the youth bears a distinct flavour.

Last week, he released his fifth book The Middle Of Everything (published by Ferntree), which is a delightful collection of Middles written by him and published in various newspapers over the years. “Unfortunately, middles are no longer popular. This book takes you back to those times when light reading appealed to the readers,” he says. “Middles are a joy to write; they present flavours and ideally should elicit a smile or a tear,” he adds.

“Middles should continue; some papers have discontinued them, while a handful still follow the practice of publishing them in the editorial pages,” he says.

A multitasking professional, Atray says writing was part of his growing-up years. He worked on the college magazine (Vulcan) at the National Institute of Technology (Kurukshetra) and gave wings to his thoughts in local newspapers. “I had a tremendous urge to write daily on topics of general interest,’ he says.

The book contains 56 pieces of humour reflecting Atray’s personality. They delve into a vast range of subjects, from the use of cuss words by youngsters in public to binge indulgence of mango mania, from an endearing ode to romance, just holding hands, to the endemic fascination called Sachinitis, a heartwarming tribute to India’s national cricket icon, Sachin Tendulkar.

Atray says in 2011 one of his middles, A Yawning Divide, was included as a chapter in schools across Maharashtra. “It was an honour and a self-booster,” says the man who is also behind the Chandigarh IT Park.

He Atray also pursued cricket till the age of 19 and in later years put to use his passion for the game in organising domestic cricket tournaments. He started the JP Atray tournament in 1992 in memory of his father and provided a platform for various coaches and scouts to discover talent.