Prolific penman

Died: Homi Jamshed Rogers, 48, freelance writer on community and other issues and advertising copywriter on August 7, 2004 in Bombay following kidney failure.

"An excellent command over English, a good news sense and a great overall general knowledge” made Ro­gers ideal for an editorial assignment, recalled the former president of the Adver­tising Club Ramesh Narayan in his tribute posted on the website of Solus (the periodical for the members of the Advertising Club, Bombay). As he further acknowledged, during the five years Rogers worked for Solus, "He was really the one-man editorial team that wrote and helped bring out the magazine.”

Although he started his professional life as an advertis­ing executive, Rogers derived greater satisfaction from his writing assignments. After considerable thought he gave up his regular paying job and started out as a freelancer. At different points of time he edited several magazines including one for the Indian Chemical Manufacturers’ Association; On­board, a bi-monthly publi­cation of the Air Cargo Agents Association of India and ASI Labortechnik, a scientific journal brought out by the Analytical and Scientific Instruments India body. He was also on the edito­rial board of the Consumer Guidance Society of India and editor/editorial consultant for English Edition Publishers and Distributors. In recent years Rogers was editorial consultant for Tata International’s quarterly house journal TILDate and its business journal Fast Forward, as notes his life profile. He wrote on tourist destinations for Voyage and Signature magazines and the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation.

For over eight years Rogers was with Marg Publications which fostered his "innate interest and love for Indian art and cul­ture.” One of his juniors at Marg, Maria Kunder recalled in her condolence letter how then "as a young girl on my first job, trying to remain sane... (Rogers) took care to smooth out the rough edges for me.”

Listed for nearly a decade by the Source Year Book as contributor on advertising and media matters Rogers was addition­ally recognized as a web content provider to dotcom companies on a variety of subjects.

"Even when his health failed him (diabetes led to chronic renal failure), Homi remained remarkably well informed about almost every topic under the sun, and continued to read vor­aciously, and has probably one of the largest collections of newspapers, magazines and books (he could not bear to part with a single newspaper or magazine since the last three decades) and even had to invest in a flat to house his ever-increasing and beloved print family!” relates his wife Hutoxi. He wished that after his death, some of his books be donated to libraries or trusts that would put them to good use. Other causes dear to him were the education of street children and uplift of women and he was always making out some donation despite the mounting medical bills devouring his savings, adds Hutoxi.

As copywriter to a host of advertising and public rela­tions agencies on retainer­ship/assignment basis, his services were utilized by Raka Advertising, Implement, Sohum Communica­tions, Orbit Advertising, Horizons (a division of Mudra), Hanmer and Partners, Media Research Users Council, Design Shop (a divi­sion of Tata Press Limited)... His first job was with Frank Simoes where he was servicing clients after which he worked as circulation manager for Blitz Publications and as regional sales manager (west) for Living Media India Limited (India Today group). "He would think of witty one-liners, compose poetry and ad copy while hanging on to the bars in the second class compart­ment of a train. He was totally consumed by his work, and fired by his need to contribute,” mentions Hutoxi.

Over the last two decades when he contributed articles to Parsiana he would present the subject with meticulous detail and convey his views in a very readable style without mincing words. For many years he had been laboring on the book Parsis in Indian Cricket, commissioned by Marine Sports, for which he had re­searched and written most of the chapters, adds Hutoxi. For the Bombay Parsi Punchayet he had authored a slim booklet on Indian classical vocalist Pandit Firoz Dastur. He is also the co-author of Life in Mumbai.

An excellent scouter who enjoyed adventure, he took the initiative of starting Bombay Hikers with Homi Kharras where they would meticulously plan outings to bring together all lovers of the outdoors.

After completing his Indian School Certificate examina­tion from Campion School, he studied at Elphinstone College to graduate in Arts and later completed his diploma in marketing from Bhavan’s College, and diploma in business management from Indian Merchants’ Chamber. With his incisive analysis Rogers assessed his personal stre-ngths: "A thorough grounding in mar­keting has contributed to imparting strategic inputs to a writing job, and thus strengthening its readability and acceptance.”

The creative writer is survived by his wife Hutoxi, son Urvaksh and parents Jamshed and Bepsy. P. M. G.