Hi, I’m Jay.
I grew up in a small town in Gujarat, India, where books quietly became my way of exploring a world far bigger than the one around me.
They introduced me to people, places and ideas I couldn’t otherwise reach, and over time they changed the way I thought about life, identity and possibility.
Today, reading and writing remain two of the most important ways I continue that conversation.
I don’t write because I think I have all the answers. I write because I’m trying to understand and explore the questions.
If you’ve found your way here, I hope you leave with a new perspective, a book recommendation, or simply a reason to pause and think a little longer.
Then London Happened 🇬🇧
In 2022, I left behind the life I’d known for nearly three decades and moved from India to London to study Marketing Management at the University of London.
Like many people who move countries, I imagined I was only changing my address.
Instead, I changed my life.
Moving to London wasn’t simply about earning a postgrad degree. It was the first time I had truly built a life of my own. Leaving behind nearly three decades of familiarity—my family, friends, and everything I had known—was painful, but it also taught me that growth rarely happens without discomfort.
After graduating, I stepped away from the corporate world for what I thought would be a short break. That break unexpectedly led me behind a coffee bar.
Today, I lead coffee operations for an independent café in London. Coffee pays the bills, but the conversations it creates often find their way into these essays.
It wasn’t part of the plan. I’m grateful it happened anyway.
The Human Curriculum ☕
Hospitality has become the greatest education I’ve ever received—not because of coffee, but because of people.
It has taught me to pay attention.
To notice the unusually quiet customer. To recognise when frustration is really exhaustion. To understand that kindness often matters more than efficiency.
No campaign, presentation, or spreadsheet has taught me as much about human behaviour as serving hundreds of people every week.
Working face-to-face with strangers has made me more patient, more observant, and, I hope, a little kinder.
I came looking for a career break. I found a community instead.
Hospitality taught me that everyone carries a story you can’t immediately see.
Why I Write ✍️
Reading has quietly become one of the greatest influences on my life.
Growing up, books gave me somewhere to go when I felt different. They introduced me to people whose courage, curiosity and integrity quietly expanded my understanding of what was possible.
Writing is how I continue that conversation.
I don’t see these essays as reviews or opinions. They’re a place to explore ideas before deciding what I really think about them. Some begin with a book, others with a museum visit, a conversation over coffee, or something I notice while travelling. Wherever they start, they usually end somewhere I didn’t expect.
I hope never to lose my curiosity. These essays are my way of protecting it—by reading widely, questioning generously, and remaining open to changing my mind.
If these essays have a common thread, it isn’t a particular genre or subject. It’s the belief that ideas are worth exploring, that books are worth arguing with, and that staying curious might be one of the most valuable lifelong pursuits we have.
Outside the Essays
Outside of writing, you’ll usually find me with a book in one hand and a coffee in the other, wandering through London’s museums and bookshops, trying to improve my French, or planning my next trip.
I also spend an unreasonable amount of time thinking about beautifully designed objects, from leather bags and watches to architecture and cafés.
At home, I share my life with Vincent, my black cat, who has perfected the art of sleeping through the day and demanding attention precisely when I’m trying to write.
I’m the first person in my family to attend university, and later the first to move abroad. Looking back, curiosity has been the thread connecting each of those decisions.
A Final Thought
If you’ve read this far, thank you.
If these essays encourage someone to pick up a book, visit a museum, look at a painting a little longer, or leave with a better question than they arrived with, then they’ve done exactly what I hoped they would.
As I read more, travel more, meet more people, and continue building a life in a country that once felt entirely unfamiliar, these essays will evolve alongside me.
Thank you for being here.
I hope you’ll stay for a while.