A NOVEL APPROACH

Name: Nawaz Merchant. Nawaz is usually added to another word, for instance Shahnawaz. It means friend and protector of the Shah. Dilnawaz is friend and protector of the heart, etc. So I guess Nawaz is “friend and protector”. I chose a simpler pen name for my writing, Nev (because I grew up on the books of Nevil Shute) and March (like Little Women’s Jo March, I dreamed of being a writer). Also, Nev March is a truncated version of my name, Nawaz Merchant.

Currently: My historical novel Murder in Old Bombay won 2019 Mystery Writers of America’s award for Best First Crime Novel. It was the first time this award was won by a writer of Indian origin or a Zoroastrian. It will be published in November by Macmillan Publishers. Loosely based on the tragedy of the Godrej girls in 1891, my novel is an action adventure with deeper themes of feminism and countering discrimination. It’s an evocative journey through colonial India during the British Raj, describing the vibrant mix of subcultures and the danger of buried secrets. Ultimately, it’s a story of triumph over adversity, and the different forms that courage can take. The premise: Why did two beautiful and privileged young  Parsi women drop to their deaths from the university clocktower in broad daylight? An unsolved murder in colonial Bombay leads Captain James Agnihotri into dangerous adventures to reach the ultimate prize – a sense of belonging.

Favourite colour: Cobalt blue (that’s today, it changes. Yesterday it was lavender).

Favourite outfit: I like long comfortable dresses, capris and yoga pants.

Favourite Bollywood star: Boman Irani – he’s funny, real, and a true inspiration.

Favourite Hollywood stars: Meryl Streep! Age does not define her! Will always admire Audrey Hepburn.

Favourite movies: Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and all the Harry Potter movies. I could watch them over and over. favourite singers: Maroon 5 (Memories), Camila (Senorita).

Favourite song: Debussy’s Claire De Lune. I also love Sway by Michael Buble, and Nessun Dorma from Turandot.

Favourite TV shows: British crime shows and Outlander, Downton Abbey and Indian Summers. Gosh, too many others as well!

Favourite ice-cream flavours: Rum Raisin, cookie dough, sea-salt caramel – I could go on!

Favourite cuisine: Thai food.

Favourite restaurant: I like small local joints, Thai, Malaysian, Middle-Eastern, Greek and more.

Favourite sport: I like watching figure skating. I enjoy hiking, Tai Chi and yoga. If you don’t think yoga is a sport, you haven’t done it every day!

Favourite sportsperson: Geeta and Babita Phogat, who inspired the movie Dangal.

Favourite books: Mary Stewart’s Nine Coaches Waiting, Dashiell Hammett’s Maltese Falcon –  oh, just too many to list.

Favourite activity: Writing – fiction, nonfiction, essays, book reviews, whatever. Reading is a close second.

I hang out: With the characters in my head! Just kidding. Family nourishes me and helps me keep growing, my friends bring colour to my life.

I’m freaked out by: The astonishing racism in the country I adore.

I need: Balance. People, work, fun, adventure and time to process all that.

I want to be: The best version of my self; someone who helps people think differently.

My role models: Princess Diana for her advocacy against land mines, Malala for her resilience, Kamala Harris for breaking the glass ceiling!

Tips to save the planet: Put women in charge of everything! Seriously, women are often a wasted resource. Meanwhile men die early of heart-disease-- (maybe because they’re carrying too much responsibility?) Let merit matter more than gender.

In a perfect world: We’d all be kinder, more far-thinking, care about education and the planet and realize that we all grow or fall together.

Click here to read Bookworm’s review of Murder in Old Bombay.

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