J. MAURUS
hits century!

84-year-old J. Maurus, founder of The Teenager, recently released his 100th book, Power of the Heart, in Mumbai. Alfonso Elengikal profiles this versatile author.

Sounds amazing! Yes, this is amazingly true of 84-year-old versatile author J. Maurus who recently released his 100th book Power of the Heart in Mumbai. Similar programmes will be held in different parts of the country, to felicitate this Italian-born prolific author during his short visit to India, the country that he served for more than 35 years as writer, editor, publisher and director of Better Yourself Books which he founded five decades ago. Maurus' visit to India coincides with the Golden Jubilee of his writing career as well as that of Better Yourself Books, his brainchild.

The readers of The Teenager will be doubly happy to know that the magazine is his brainchild, as well. J. Maurus founded The Teenager way back in 1963, together with his writer-friend and educationist Aloysius G. Rego at Allahabad, in Uttar Pradesh. He is also the Founder of Inspirational Quote, yet another popular monthly that has transformed the lives of millions of its readers in the country and abroad.

Giuseppe Mauro Ferrero, popularly known by his pen name J. Maurus, was born on April 14, 1924, at Piedmont near Turin, in North Italy. His parents were poor peasants and he spent his early years in the mountainous terrains and outside school hours, often tending the cattle and playing with the boys of his age, there.

However, his life took a different turn when, still as a young boy he came under the influence of the young Italian priest, James Alberione, who founded the international organisation — ST PAULS. In the course of time, Maurus joined him, committing himself totally to the healthy use of communication media the world over, which eventually led him to our country.

In 1951, Maurus was barely 27 when Alberione asked him to travel to India in pursuit of the above dream. Once in India, he loved the country and its people, gladly accepting the challenge, as he neither knew a word of English nor any other Indian languages! Allahabad (U.P.) was his first destination, where he soon mastered English, and acquired a working knowledge of Hindi to be able to communicate with the ordinary people of the place.

He also took a keen interest in the Indian Vedic literature which proved a boon for him later in his writing career. He was equally fascinated by the literary heritage of India, and began reading ancient Indian authors whose works were available in English. He was particularly taken up by the Bhagavad Gita which he says he read again and again. As he read, he also took notes, and this eventually led him to take up writing as a lifetime career. His own motto is “Let noble thoughts come from every side”. (Rig Veda)

J. Maurus published his first-ever book Just A Moment, Please in 1958, which soon turned out to be a bestseller and continues to be so, even after five long decades. The book has seen numerous Indian editions in English as well as in a number of other Indian and European languages. In the Spanish language alone, the book has sold more than 5 lakh copies.

The unexpected runaway success of Just A Moment, Please encouraged Maurus to come out with more similar volumes in the coming years. From then on, there was no turning back; books began to flow from his pen non-stop. Today Is Ours, Pretty As You Please, Something To Think Of, Anecdotes of the Great, Make Love Your Target, With A Light Heart, Live A Fuller Life, How To Enjoy Peace, Make Your Emotions Work For You, How To Use Your Complexes, How To Grow Old Gracefully and the latest Power Of The Heart, are just a few of the bestsellers that have seen the light of day from Maurus' powerful pen. Looking at the list of over 100 books, one wonders whether Maurus has left any subject under the sun untouched. Amazingly he is discovering everyday new titles to write on!

The success of his early titles led Maurus to bring them under a new brand name — Better Yourself Books (BYB). Today, with hundreds of books on Practical Psychology, Self-improvement, Family Life, Counselling, etc. on its list, BYB is a name to reckon with in the book publishing world in India.

Maurus returned to native Italy in 1985. But, he continued writing for Better Yourself Books while trying his hand in Italian, his own mother tongue. After 15 long years, he returned to India in the year 2000, and was the Chief Guest at the Teen of the Year 2000 final event.

Maurus loves the youth passionately, and even today young people continue to fascinate him. What strikes one most as you meet him today, at the age of 84, is that he is active and jovial as ever; he has never lost his youthfulness. Maurus is a person who spreads cheer and happiness through his books, but much more by his very presence. He strongly believes that “you have to be happy first, if you want to spread happiness.” His never-fading smile says it all!

Maurus is certainly an author with a difference, one who has wielded his pen very powerfully over the past 50 years, making a difference in the lives of millions of his readers in the country, and possibly in most parts of the English-speaking world.