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About me

I have been writing since my early teens. And have worked in advertising since adulthood. Which means I have spent most of my life either making things up or watching other people make things up. Both are instructive.

Ten countries. Four continents. Two languages. One persistent suspicion that the official version of most things is the least interesting.

I grew up in Mumbai with an instinct for language and a deep distrust of received wisdom. Advertising took me from Mumbai to Paris to Amsterdam to Lagos to Dubai - through enough dinner tables in "grown-up" and "growing" countries to confirm that people are far more alike than geography suggests. Anxieties. Aspirations. The performance of confidence in front of a wine list.

 

After twenty-five years of writing for briefs, I started writing for myself, combining two interests - wine and culture (the lived one, not the museum one).

This found expression in a wine blog, a book of short stories in two languages, and a body of editorial work for people who need words that do not sound assembled by a committee. In 2025, it produced the Judges' Choice Award - the top prize - at the JancisRobinson.com Wine Writing Competition. First Indian, Asian and Dubai-based winner. Both eyebrows went up briefly, then one returned to its default position.

I live in Dubai. I write in English and French. Three Indian languages surface at dinner tables and in moments of genuine surprise.

I observe. I raise an eyebrow. I write.

This is where it all lives.

©2026 Shishir V. Baxi

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