Novel Launch 20th June 2019

I'd like to say a big thank you to everyone who came last night for the launch of my new crime novel THE MISSING HUSBAND.

NOVEL PUBLICATION DAY 20TH JUNE 2019

It's Happy Publication day!
My new crime novel THE MISSING HUSBAND is officially out today and can be purchased from all the major book stores and at amazon.co.uk.

I hope people enjoy reading the novel.

A link to the book trailer is here.

We're pleased to launch the #trailer for The Missing Husband by @VijayMedtia! Watch the full trailer here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBHlFGKdzDU&t=1s … #crimefiction #missinghusbandbook

INDIAN CRIME FICTION- Time for a second look.

INDIAN CRIME FICTION: Time for a second look.

By Vijay Medtia. June 2019.

       

IS the publishing industry in the U.K. and back in India, finally accepting Indian crime fiction? Are they prepared to publish talented writers to a wider audience? These questions have often intrigued me, a crime novelist based in the U.K., and who makes regular trips to India. Alternatively, is there a solid glass ceiling? And the industry continues to neglect writers who have Indian detectives, inspectors as the main protagonists, working the mean streets of the sub-continent.

     The literary writers, Naipaul, Rushdie, Ghosh et al, have smashed the glass ceiling and won acclaim across the world with their fine novels. There’s no doubt they must have faced the same struggles too.

When it comes to crime fiction however, we seem to run into brick walls. It’s a struggle to gain a foothold onto the bookshelves, a newspaper review or have an article published. This was an old gripe of one of my favourite authors too, Raymond Chandler.

The above writers have opened doors for Indian writers, but also seem to have pigeonholed us in the process. If the work isn’t ‘high-brow’ literary novels, then sorry, the publishers seem to say. We want our BAME writers ‘quota’ to be prize-winning novels. That however is a completely new topic, which I don’t wish to cover today.

    All writers work extremely hard, juggling full time jobs, family and trying to write novels at the same time. No one said it was easy, but a change in the publishing mindset is long overdue. Writers experiences say one thing clearly, 'it’s still tough to break through as a BAME crime writer.’

     The industry suggests that there isn’t a big enough market for Indian crime fiction. Yet the crime fiction market continues to flourish worldwide, with big names selling in their millions.

There does seem however, a slow grudging change taking place. A minority of Indian crime fiction has been published in the last five years.

The publishers are discovering there is an appetite amongst readers to read writers from the sub-continent.

     Vikram Chandra’s, Sacred Games (2006) was well received and hyped, but then there was a lull again.

In the last five years however, there’s a glimmer of hope on the horizon.

In the U.K., Abir Mukherjee, Vaseem Khan, A.A. Dand and Kishwar Desai to name a few, have gained a readership and appreciation. Jacob Ross’s fine novel, The Bone Readers, was also well received and won the Jalak Prize.

Whilst in India, Ankush Saikia, Piyush Jha, Aswin Sanghi and others are making inroads in the crime fiction genre.

Yet the struggle continues. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie remain popular in India, eight years on. 80 years!

Paulomi Chatterjee, editor of Hachette India states, ‘It’s as if the readers here have long been exposed to crime writing from the West.’ Another editor said, ‘It’s a challenge for Indian publishers to persuade readers to read home grown detective novels. There’s a perception that an Indian name on the cover never seems good enough.’

    This statement suggests that Indian crime fiction faces an uphill struggle. The onus therefore falls on the writers to change this, but without agents and publishers help; it’s going to prove difficult. Reading preferences are difficult to change. If agents and publishers however are prepared to take risks, then the rewards for the readers, authors and publishers will be substantial.

It’s still the case that the small independents are taking the majority of the risks with BAME writers. We are grateful to them for the opportunity to be published. Perhaps independents will pave the way.

     Indian crime fiction is often ignored, a feeling that they don’t write as well as international writers. This perception is incorrect. There are some terrific crime novels opening the markets and paving the way for others. On the other hand, I read recently several poorly written novels from big name authors. There’s nothing like reading them to restore faith in your own writing and novel. Money talks. My hope is however that the commissioning editors making these choices take some risks and publish good unknown authors too. They shouldn’t allow the accountants to dominate so to speak when it comes to acquisitions.

     There is still a resistance in the big publishers to have Asian protagonists. Yet through sheer grit and determination, writers are forcing them to take notice of their talents. The authors are combining Indian sensibilities, humour and good plots with a global appeal.

     Despite the challenges, this is an interesting time to write Indian crime fiction. Literary festivals are rising across India and the U.K. with great attendances. The Zee Jaipur literary festival has grown into one of the biggest in the world. The appetite for good novels is there.

 A good novel, still stands tall when competing against other forms of entertainments, and often wins easily.

Perhaps we need a few of us to have a break-through novel, to ignite the readers and publishers imagination to invest more in Indian crime fiction. It’s high time publishers and the readers gave the genre a good second look. Indian crime fiction, you might be pleasantly surprised.

VIJAY MEDTIA’s new crime novel, THE MISSING HUSBAND, is published by Crocus Books, U.K. on 20th June 2019. It’s available for pre-order from amazon.co.uk. At Waterstones.com. Foyles and WH Smith Book stores.

Also from his website: www.vijaymedtia.com

vijaymedtia@twitter.com

My Interview- Commonword Magazine U.K.

My Interview in the Commonword Magazine is out today. You can read it at cultureword.org.uk/writer of the month Vijay Medtia. You can also read it via my Twitter account.
I talk about my new crime novel THE MISSING HUSBAND, due to be published 20th June 2019.