Today we’d like to introduce you to Eshaan Mani.
Hi Eshaan, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I write to learn more about what and how I think and feel. I explore my sensitivities, my sensibilities, my fears, my joys all through my pen.
In 2016, at the age of 10, I wrote, published, and sold my first book, Heartwarming Tales from Three Corners of the World, a compilation of three short stories (https://www.amazon.com/Heartwarming-Tales-Three-Corners-World-ebook/dp/B01FOKTZZQ). The following year, I was published for the first time in the 8th issue of the iWRITE By Kids For Kids anthology. 2021 marked five years of being published by iWRITE in their annual anthology.
However, I only started seriously exploring journalism when I was selected to be a TIME for Kids (TFK) Kid Reporter in 2019. My time as a TFK Kid Reporter was not only rewarding but fun, and I have TFK to thank for infecting me with the journalism bug. Among other assignments, I reported on the Democratic Debate and scored a viral moment with then-Senator Kamala Harris (https://twitter.com/timeforkids/status/1172506783040118784), spoke with Dr. Ingrid Katz of Harvard Health in one of the world’s first in-depth interviews about the pandemic, and co-hosted the TIME for Kids Explains podcast (which was named one of the top 10 podcasts for kids by the TODAY show: https://www.today.com/parents/best-podcasts-kids-10-podcasts-your-kid-should-listen-2020-t204119)
After my stint as a Kid Reporter, I found myself hungry for more opportunities to explore the field of journalism and all its facets. I’ve created over 150 journalistic pieces across six publications/companies since 2019. I report on school news for The Falcon, a Kinkaid school publication (thefalcon.kinkaid.org). I have also had pieces published online and in print in Houston’s Buzz Magazines (https://thebuzzmagazines.com/people/eshaan-mani) as well as Houston Family Magazine (https://houstonfamilymagazine.com/). I review films, TV shows, and podcasts in written, video, and often audio form for KIDS FIRST!, an entertainment journalism nonprofit, and interview talent in video and audio form. My playlist with KIDS FIRST! can With KIDS FIRST!, I’ve spoken with over 30 media professionals, including actors Ariana Greenblatt, director Thea Sharrock, CEO of Fandor Phil Hopkins, and (my personal favorites, as a massive Hindi film fan) Bollywood stars Mallika Sherawat and Rajat Kapoor. I have also published 16 pieces on the national and international news (focusing on political or social conflicts or discourses, but also covering other current events) for Redefy (redefy.org), a student-run journalism/activism publication.
Besides branching out, I also have “returned to my roots,” per se, and brought journalism to iWRITE. I am the President of iWRITE’s Youth Club (iwriteyouthclub.com), and I created iWRITER (iwriteyouthclub.com/iwriter), a quarterly magazine as a platform for kids to publish their work. Today, iWRITER is on its seventh issue and is the flagship project of the Youth Club, with a local, national, and international impact. Our team spans the US, with columnists from Ohio, Michigan, Hawaii, and of course, Texas.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I am very grateful to the many non-profit organizations and publications I’m affiliated with for providing me with a platform to explore and express myself. The road has largely been smooth thanks to my mentors and these publications and organizations, but it has taken some twists and turns. As a young writer, finding my voice and the right medium for it has been quite a journey. When I started, I used to write short stories and poetry. I continue to write these fiction pieces, but I’m more interested in journalism now. And even within journalism, there’s a variety of beats and styles I’m exploring.
We’d love to learn more about your work. What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc.
Be it journalism or creative writing, I have a passion for spotlighting ordinary people doing extraordinary things and amplifying their voices. I’m a proponent of “thinking global while celebrating local,” broadening our perspectives and worldview while supporting those positively impacting our communities. I take inspiration from things threatening to tear communities apart and I use my craft to bring them together. After Houston was wrecked by Hurricane Harvey, I noticed negativity was spreading through news headlines, social media discussions, and in-person interactions. I wrote a poem in the hopes of bringing the community together, and this poem — “Hurricane Harvey: A Terrifying Tempest” — was my first published piece in the 8th iWRITE By Kids For Kids anthology in 2017. It was also featured in the Houston Chronicle and Houston Family Magazine. My poem “A Scarf of Many Colors,” about the unconditional love of family even through trying times, was included as a part of Culture for Health – Advancing Together (CHAT)’s Gulfton Mural Trail initiative. I received recognition from the City of Houston Mayor’s Office for this piece, but what was especially thrilling was seeing my poem memorialized in a painting by Vivienne Dang, a local Houston artist, on the side of Jane Long Academy in Gulfton.
What are you most proud of?
I’m most proud of my involvement with TFK. Becoming a Kid Reporter launched me into the world of journalism, and I’m forever grateful to the folks at TFK for taking me on as one of 10 kids nationally to report for the outlet in 2019. My time at TFK equipped me with the writing, interviewing, and podcasting skills that I use to this day. It prepared me for more complex writing assignments, and most importantly, it provided me with so many invaluable relationships. I visited New York this past summer and met (for the first time!) my mentor Karena Phan and executive editor of TFK, Jaime Joyce. It was so special to finally see them in person and chat over coffee at Bryant Park. I’ve also reconnected with several Kid Reporters. For example, fellow Kid Reporter Lexi and I co-hosted the TIME for Kids Explains podcast (https://pinna.fm/library/kids-shows/pinna-podcasts/time-for-kids-explains) in the spring of 2020. We have stayed in contact and she was one of the first people I reached out to contribute to iWRITER magazine last year.
What sets you apart from others?
I love interviews: they allow me to marry data-backed truth with emotion — logos with pathos — in my articles. I interview the whole person, not limiting my questions to their job or their passion. It all starts with knowing them better than they know themselves, as my mentor and the head of entertainment journalism company KIDS FIRST!, Ms. Ranny Levy, would say. I scour the internet for details about my subjects, going past their short bios and down rabbit holes to find unique topics to broach during my interview. I have asked business leaders about how their upbringings shaped their leadership styles, actors about how experiences they had in their teenage years helped them develop their characters, and immigrants about the first time they truly felt “American.” All of my interviews have yielded candid, unscripted moments that have brought emotion and individuality to the angle I set out to pursue.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Discover your passion and establish “your beat.”
A good journalist doesn’t discriminate between scoops. Exploration can help you discover a lot about yourself, but as you get more serious about the craft, be sure to establish your own “beat” covering topics you’re passionate about. My identity and culture as a South Asian American and my interest in other cultures shaped my “beat.” I’ve written over 25 local and international news stories covering everything from how cultural traditions are celebrated in South Asian diasporic communities to the impact of ethnic violence in China. I have interviewed over 75 people from all walks of life, telling their stories for Houston Family Magazine, the Buzz Magazines, Redefy, KIDS FIRST!, and the South Asian Digital Archive (saada.org) since 2019.
To sum it up: find what you love and write about it. Journalism is a field that can seem black and white at times, but at its heart, it’s a creative field. Don’t be afraid to play in the gray area! And I’m going to take this opportunity to plug the iWRITER: to any kids that have an interest in writing or art, please reach out to me for an opportunity to be featured in the iWRITER!
Contact Info:
- Email: eshaanmani@gmail.com
- Instagram: @eshaanmani
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eshaan.mani.50
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ManiEshaan
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLI6M_JXrd8pg6VUVJSKKpXEyHArUm5H7E
- Other: https://muckrack.com/eshaan-mani
