Saket Suman is a writer, journalist and literary chronicler. He is the author of The Psychology of a Patriot, published by Rupa Publications in India. He has worked at premiere Indian media houses in key reporting and editorial positions. His articles on Culture and Society have appeared in over two dozen newspapers.
He wrote
a popular weekly column “Beyond Books” in The Statesman between 2013 to 2016; covered student unrest and the
demonstrations leading up to the withdrawal of Delhi University’s ambitious
Four Year Undergraduate Programme; co-authored a series of front-page
investigative reports on illegal
narcotic racket in India’s national capital; chronicled the most extensive
coverage of the
Sahitya Akademi imbroglio when reputed writers returned their prestigious
literary honours in protest against what they called intolerance in India;
commented vociferously on threats
to free speech and the building
wave of jingoism; curated microsites and special projects such as “Where
Writers Write”, “Shifting
Sands of Culture” and “Translating
India”, among others.
Saket
Suman reinvigorated the literary
coverage in the country, profiling heavyweight writers and building a formidable
pool of commentators and critics. He has reported extensively on the arts and
culture sectors, covered mega spiritual, literary,
cultural, music and food gatherings and carnivals in India and abroad.
He is
credited for exclusive newsbreaks that have rocked the national
discourse; passionate first-person
reportage that has appeared in front pages of national dailies; insightful scoops that have led to implementation
of stricter protocols; and incisive interviews that have created space for
wider discussion. He has travelled extensively and reported from varied terrains on the heartaches and hurrahs of
everyday Indians.
He has previously authored The Psychology of a Patriot, a one-of-its kind nonfiction book that traced the changing narratives around patriotism in India from the country’s first war of independence to the pandemic by artfully using the lives of some eminent citizens.
Suman then worked at Ashoka University, managing Public Relations, Internal Communications and Crisis Management amidst frequent upheavals. Operating discreetly in collaboration with reputed academics, he ensured the publication of hundreds of op-ed articles and secured interviews in leading Indian and global media outlets. Suman undertook a transformative journey with the university's monthly newsletter, Ashoka Reflections, elevating it from a modest six-paragraph HTML page into a substantial monthly magazine spanning over 100 pages while instilling a commitment to journalistic ethics in its production. Suman's contributions represented a quantum leap in the university's communication approach. He stood as the sole advocate within the university's administration, offering unwavering support to its faculty members who courageously voiced their concerns about the suppression of academic freedom by the founders and administration. Suman's association with Ashoka University came to an end shortly thereafter.
