Author Vaseem Khan at the Hexham Book Festival

5th May 2017

Three books and counting… in the Baby Ganesh series by Vaseem Khan, all set so far in Mumbai.

What a delight to hear more about the three books so far in the  enchanting Baby Ganesh series, featuring Inspector Chopra and his baby elephant. Book four in the series is well under way, we hear, and is set around Mumbai’s most prestigious hotel (The Taj Mahal Palace, perhaps… ).

Vaseem interviewed by Sheilagh Matheson

Being interviewed by Sheilagh Matheson, Vaseem explained how he had always wanted to be a writer and that he can still sometimes look at the draft of his first book written in his late teens. Rejection at that tender age was of course hard to bear, but in retrospect he can fully appreciate the long path to get to where he is now!

One of the author’s declared aims has always been to put all his memories of India into a book and bring the colour, diversity and stark contrasts of the country to life. Ten years of living there.. “a billion stories that can be told”. And certainly Mumbai is a character in its own right in his novels to date.

Vaseem is always intent on showcasing aspects of India, its culture and how extreme poverty can co-exist with glamour and wealth. The backdrop of Mumbai may, however, well change over the coming books, as Inspector Chopra, in the company of his ageless elephant (who will remain at his manageable size for the books to come) moves on to pastures new. Kolkata is a likely contender for the next choice of setting.

Vaseem with TF’s Tina

Reading his books is indeed a journey into the heart of modern India. Chopra cares deeply about the inequalities he sees around him. Vaseem’s books are often compared to The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series of books by Alexander McCall Smith, set in Botswana, but in the Baby Ganesh novels there is more gritty realism, tempered with delightful encounters, fantastic imagery and, of course, he makes sure that heroes from the world of cricket make regular appearances.

And, all credit to the author, you have to remember that Vaseem is working as a full time in Security and Crime Science! Being an insomniac, he says,  helps, to juggle all the areas of his life.

A screening of the Bollywood movie, Bride and Prejudice concluded the Q and A session together with some Indian finger food from The Valley Restaurant. nearby.

TF’s Tina doubling as a Hexham tour guide

Check out our review of the first book in the series The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra where we also pose a few questions for Vaseem. Do follow him on Twitter and via his website and of course you can buy his books here.

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