Famed for his romantic oeuvre, Indian author Ravinder Singhwhose debut 2007 novel I Too Had a Love Story has sold more than a million copies, revealed to his international virtual audience at the 39^th edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair that his understanding of the idea of romance has undergone a sea change over the past decade.

“When I began writing more than a decade ago, I wrote of eternal or everlasting love. Today, my understanding of the subject has broadened. I now think love also has an expiry date. I believe that the day you accept your partner’s proposal and decide to make a life together, that very day you have given the right to him/her to break your heart someday,”said the author in a virtual interview with Anamika Chatterjeeat an SIBF session titled ‘Writing Romance in the Modern Era’.

He denies that this has to do with the all-pervasive technology that is dominating our lives today. “Technology has a significant role in our lives; perhaps it gives us too many options at the click of a button, but it also enables you to achieve your goals. And if my goal is to find a partner, I will leverage the power of technology to find that special someone,” said the author who has published nine romantic bestsellers till date.

As one of the earliest authors to tap into the power of social media to connect to his audience, Ravinder Singh also started his own publishing company, Black Ink, to help debut writers publish their works. “Having faced rejection from every publisher I had approached for my first book, I can relate to their experiences and felt it was my responsibility to ease their troubles.”

Singh, who believes that “a book is a marriage between a publisher and an author, and has to generate value for all stakeholders”,says his debut novel stemmed froma painful tragedy in his personal life.

“Slipping into a meaningless existence after losing my girlfriend in a car crash led me to piece together our story and courtship days; it was a cathartic experience,” said the author while speaking on the Sharjah Reads platform. “I wanted to keep her memory alive through the pages of my book.”

“I encapsulated all my pain and put it on the bookshelves across the country. It was therapeutic and healing; it helped me move on,” he added.

“I thus became an author by chance but continue to be one by choice,”said the author who has touched the heartstrings of the young generation across India with his emotionally appealing stories told in simple, lucid prose.

Organised by Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), SIBF 2020 concludes on November 14. Being held under the theme, ‘The World Reads from Sharjah’, the 39^th edition has adopted a fully digital format to host its cultural programme of 64 events, which are being streamed on SBA’s virtual platform over the 11 days of the fair. Register for upcoming discussions at sharjahreads.com.