Mohan Pandey
Bewildering Stories biography
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Born in a small town nestled in the Himalayas of India, my early life was nothing to write about. I moved to a mega-city for college and finished with a bachelor’s degree in social sciences and another in law from Delhi University. Beginning the life as a bureaucrat in the foreign service in 1970, and retiring from it in 2005, turned out to be very eventful and exciting.
My career took me to several countries: Russia, Switzerland, Pakistan, Tanzania, Ireland, Philippines, Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia , Iran, Afghanistan, Jordan, UAE and Iraq. As the senior director of the national business chamber (ASSOCHAM), post-retirement, I continued to remain on the move, travelling to more places: Tokyo, Osaka, London, Brussels, Dubai, Qatar, Sanaa, Khartoum, Warsaw, Hong Kong, Beijing and many more.
In my 35-year roving life, I wrote extensively on economic, social and political issues. Creative writing became my new venture after I moved to U.S. in 2010. Living and working in different places and cultures, including areas of conflict and war, civil disorders, natural disasters, military coups and extreme poverty exposed me to the vastness of life. Witnessing human misery from close quarters left a lasting impact on me.
With deep interest in philosophy and spirituality, I feel I need to know myself before judging others, a process of self-discovery , an unending journey without destination as yet. At the end, our lives are just collection of stories. Therefore, everyone has stories to tell. Writing them is a powerful tool for self-expression. My nostalgic past motivates me to keep writing in which I find immense possibilities.
Few stories have been accepted for publication. But I do not live in my yesteryears, I was different then. Thus life is a constant flow, a celebration which should be lived fully and creatively. Regular at the weekly Toledo Writers’ Workshop for years, I enjoy the richness of diversity of views: novelists, poets, memoirists, all fired by a passion to write.
I am into short stories, fictionalized account of my experiences. I also like crime stories, the dark side of human nature has its own lessons. I enjoy explaining the complexities of life and sharing my take on bewildering diversities.
Copyright © 2018 by Mohan Pandey
