Ghost-Writing: A Deliberately Thankless Job

 

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam

1 November 2025

Hum Phool Hain Auron Ke Liye Laaye Hain Khushboo

Apne Liye Le-De-Ke Bas Ik Daagh Mila Hai

Sahir Ludhianvi

(I'm a flower bringing fragrance for others / But for myself, I just got a few scars)

Qalam Musalsal Likhta Raha

Phir Bhi Pas-E-Parda Raha

(Tireless was my pen / Yet, it remained behind the curtain)

A retired professor from Calcutta University, who taught English Literature at Presidency College (now Presidency University), has recently said that nowadays, almost all PhD theses are either plagiarized or ghost written. Ghost writing is a fascinating thing and a deliberately chosen thankless profession. You write for someone else. He/she takes away the credit and you choose to remain in the shadow. Publishers all over the world grudgingly admit that most of the autobiographies have been written by ghost-writers. All ain't writers. Neither can all have a way with the words. But there's a latent desire in every heart to see his/her name in print. The thrill to see one's name in print is simply indescribable. It's an ineffable joy.

English novelist and poet Sir Kingsley Amis used to say that, " Seeing one's name for the first time in print is like one's first love. The euphoria is beyond the realm of any language." This intrinsic desire to see one's name in print has been providing bread and butter to all the ghost-writers for a long time.

Two phenomena in literature have always evoked a tsunami of reactions from the readers as well as from the critics: Plagiarism and ghost-writing. Many great works of world literature are either plagiarized or ghost-written; only a few are truly original. Now there's a new term that's being used to further the horizon of ghost-writing: Ghost-painting. Yes, ghost-painting. It's being debated that many masterpieces by the old masters of the Renaissance period were painted by painters, commissioned by the great masters. It means, outsourcing is not a new phenomenon, popularised by the IT sector ! It has always existed in some way or the other.

Experts on Peter Paul Rubens' paintings are doubting that he had a couple of his 'masterpieces' painted by an unknown Flemish painter, who was obviously never acknowledged.

Even Bob Dylan's some of the finest songs were ghost-written and many gems of Hindi film music were actually 'purchased' from unknown and struggling poets. Politicians win applause because of their well-worded speeches. But it's a known fact that they've a team of professional speech-writers writing 'soul-stirring' speeches and write ups for them. Recently, our PM's write ups in English appeared in all leading dailies. One can jolly well hazard a guess that someone else wrote them for him.

Many editor friends of mine told me that they've to carry ghost-written pieces by political leaders, industrialists and influential people because of political pressure and management's insistence.

Now Maharashtra's Eknath Shinde has also become a 'writer' whose political write ups (in praise of his master) in English have appeared in a few premier English dailies. Eknath Shinde speaks rustic Marathi but writes flawless English! He must get some award, if not Nobel in Literature!

Many interesting things happen in ghost-writing. Many times, faux pas of reading someone else's speech takes place in full public view! Roman senators used to have ghost-writers and Julius Caesar, despite being an amazing wielder of pen in addition to being a great soldier, often sought the help of his ghost writers.

Roman emperor-philosopher Marcus Aurelius first wrote about ghost-writing. Ghost-writers love to play second fiddle to the putative writers and feel satisfied that their efforts have seen daylight, in spite of not being able to see their names. "Itna Hi Kya Kam Hai Ke Mera Khyal Duniya Tak Pahuncha / Woh Mere Naam Se Pahuncha Ya Kisi Aur Ke, Mujhe Hosh Nahin" (Isn't it enough that my idea has reached out to the world / Whether someone else expressed it, makes no difference to me).

Now AI is the most competent ghost-writer! Many AI-generated articles appear in various publications. Humans are redundant in all spheres. At times, I too have ghost-written in English, Hindi, Bengali and Urdu and I've been wholeheartedly acknowledged for my 'creative endeavour.' Though I was handsomely remunerated, my name never appeared in the write ups! And I'm happy with that but I mostly wrote Urdu pieces for people whose names I can't utter.

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A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian

 

URL:   https://www.newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/ghost-writing-thankless-job/d/137474

 

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