An interview with Hamish Morjaria
We interviewed Hamish Morjaria, the author of The Curse of Muziris, about his book and his journey as a writer.
What inspired you to delve into ancient India to write a fast-paced thriller like The Curse of Muziris?
I have always enjoyed reading fast-paced thrillers and historical fiction that offers a glimpse into the past. I believe that no country in the world has as long, rich and complicated a history as India, so it was a very natural place to start my research.
What I found was a wealth of stories that remain relatively unknown even in India that could form the basis of an exciting novel. Muziris stood out as it was the greatest trading port of the first century – the Romans and Egyptians referred to it as a centre of maritime trade. Mythologized in the Mahabharata and romanticized in Sangham poetry as a place of fortune and free-flowing wine, Muziris was a melting pot of culture and religion.
Balancing a thriving career in the business world with writing bestselling historical thrillers must have been challenging, since the two arenas are so vastly different. Can you share a bit about what ignited your creative spark and fuelled your interest in writing?
Like many writers, it was the coronavirus pandemic that gave me the time to start working on a novel, a dream that had been lying dormant for thirty years. Now that I am writing the second book in the Harveen Gill series, I have found it much more challenging to carve out time from my schedule.
‘Writing is only the first step; finding an agent, and then a major publisher to take the series on, was quite challenging.’
Would you say your two career pursuits have had an influence on each other? If yes, could you elaborate how?
The two things are very different, with the only crossover perhaps being the negotiation of the publishing contract. The slow pace of the publishing industry was a source of frustration to me in the early stages. Writing is only the first step; finding an agent, and then a major publisher to take the series on, was quite challenging. Over the last couple of years, I have found a much better balance by keeping the two worlds very separate.
What inspired you to create your protagonist, Dr Harveen Gill, and how did she evolve as you penned her story?
The best historical fiction protagonists have striking and specific skills, whether they are archaeologists, symbologists, historians or fearless adventurers. It was clear that my lead character would need to be the same. India is changing as a country, with women rising into senior roles across politics, business and academia, as well as becoming sporting icons at a national and international level. I carved my protagonist, Dr Harveen Gill, in the image of this modern nation. A bright and fearless Punjabi woman, Harveen has to fight at every step to make her mark on the world.
The book has been likened to The Da Vinci Code and Indiana Jones. Was paying homage to these classics a preoccupation while you were writing your book? How did you juggle that with ensuring The Curse of Muziris remained fresh and unique?
Being compared to these well-known and influential works in the genre has been an emotional experience. I am touched that reviewers think The Curse of Muziris is in any way comparable.
Neither of these works were on my mind whilst writing the novel, as the characters and contexts are so different. In fact, I think that these variations in terms of geography, characters and plot are what have made the book fresh and unique. My preoccupation was mainly with getting key historical moments right and having enough research to present the conspiracies and twists contained within the novel in a credible manner.
It’s not unusual for an author to battle self-doubt or writer’s block. Did you go through this while writing The Curse of Muziris? How did you overcome it?
I did not really suffer from writer’s block while working on The Curse of Muziris. In fact, I was so invested in the history of Muziris that the first draft was too long. Real historical events and documents provided a strong framework for the story, while the editing process ensured that every chapter was fast-paced and the links between past and present were sharp and well-defined.
The self-doubt affected me as I waited to secure an agent and then find a publisher who believed in the story as much as I did. As all authors will tell you, every rejection takes a small piece out of you.
The Curse of Muziris is the first novel in the Harveen Gill Mysteries series. Without giving too much away, can you offer your readers any hints about what they can expect from the books to come?
There are some hints in the final act of The Curse of Muziris about Book Two in the series. It follows directly from the first book and will see Harveen in a completely new adventure, though it will also be rooted in Indian history.
