On editors, the invisible architects

In a world that celebrates authors as solitary geniuses, the role of the editor remains largely invisible.

- V R FEROSE

A name tucked into acknowledgements, buried in footnotes, or sometimes not mentioned at all.

Yet anyone who has truly wrestled with the written word knows: behind every great book stands a quiet co-creator. Editors do more than fix grammar or polish style. They are critics, confidantes, coaches, and often, crisis managers.

They are the invisible architects of literature.

Take Maxwell Perkins, the legendary editor who shaped the careers and voices of giants of American literature such as F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and Thomas Wolfe. As Scott Berg's Pulitzer Prize-winning biography, Max Perkins: Editor of Genius (later adapted into the film Genius), brilliantly reveals, Perkins was more than an editor. He was a career counselor, a therapist, a financial lifeline, and above all, a believer.

My own writing journey has been shaped by the steady, compassionate hands of remarkable editors. My wife, Deepali, was my first and fiercest critic. She was never afraid to tell me when something didn't work, but always with the faith that it could. She reminded me that writing, like any practice, demands repetition and resilience.