Author Interview: Jamal Merchant

My story is based in India. I did extensive research on many aspects of life in India and issues covered in my novel. In all I had 235 print-outs on various subjects to read and draw knowledge from. In January 2011, I made a special trip to India and visited Mumbai and Amritsar and visited all the places in these two cities where the action takes place involving the protagonist Rahul Saxena. It was a fact-find visit which greatly assisted me in describing some of the places and events in my novel.My motivation led me to get up at 4.00 in the morning to write. As a debut novelist, it was a slow and painful process. But I persevered and completed my first draft in September 2011 which I later enriched with dozens of improvements and new ideas, culminating in a draft which was finally accepted by Rupa Publications of India.

Source: Author Interview: Jamal Merchant