Kalam wielded ‘kalam’ with flair

CHENNAI: Kalam’s books flew off shelves as soon as they were published and can be probably found in every library in the country. Amidst his tight schedule, Kalam found time to put pen to paper, almost every day.
Popular as a scientist and President, there was another side to Kalam — the writer. His books, including his autobiography ‘Wings of Fire’ and his last book on his guru released recently have been bestsellers.


Dr Kalam with Dr Vikram Sarabhai and Dr Satish Dhawan. (Image courtesy: PIB India via twitter)
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‘Wings of Fire,’ has been translated in 13 languages including Braille. It has also been translated into Chinese and French.
“His audience was everybody who wanted a better India,” said Kapish Mehra of Rupa Publications.
Kalam’s books varied from pure science to his vision for the country and his love for children, said Mehra.

APJ Kalam receiving Padma Bhushan in 1981. (Image courtesy: Indianhistorypics, retweeted by PIB india)
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“Kalam being a self-made man was an instant connect with the common man and students. His writing was simple and easily understandable,” said Penguin Publications managing director Udayan Mitra.
Kalam’s book ‘My Journey’ published by Penguin in 2013 has sold more than 1 million copies.
His last book, released across the country on Saturday was ‘Transcendence-My Spiritual Experiences’ with Pramukh Swamiji.
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In this book he records his life from Rameswaram. “Each evening the head priest of the Rameswaram temple, the church priest and my father who was an imam, would meet over a cup of tea, and discuss issues affecting the community,” says Kalam in the book.
In the book he also mentions his previous gurus — Satish Dhawan and Vikram Sarabhai — but concludes that his ultimate guru was Pramukh Swami, head of the Swaminarayan sect.