Meet the Author: Imran Mahmood

Imran Mahmood is a British novelist and barrister. His first novel, You Don't Know Me (2017), was shortlisted for several prestigious awards and was dramatised by the BBC in 2021. The novel was inspired by young men he defended in London courts. His second book, I Know What I Saw (2021), is a thriller about a murder in the affluent London district of Mayfair. The Times selected it as one of their Best Thrillers for 2021.

Mahmood's third book, All I Said Was True, was published in 2022. His latest book Finding Sophie is published by Raven Books on 14 March 2024 and you can find it on our catalogue.

Who were your influences as you were growing up?

My parents were from Pakistan a country where education was rarely available to the poor and for that reason was also highly prized. When I grew up, my parents impressed upon me and my siblings the value of education above almost everything else. They were by far my greatest influences. My father never had the privilege of education and never learned to read but despite becoming an extremely successful self-made businessman he knew how important books were and encouraged us to read at every opportunity.

You grew up in Liverpool. Did you ever visit the iconic Central Library?

Ah Central Library. We had very few ‘owned’ books in our house and so relied heavily on our local library (on Allerton Road). But once we outgrew the books there we would take weekly trips to Central Library after school. In fact, by the time I was doing O’ and A’ levels I spent almost every evening there after school studying in the quiet of the balconies overlooking the stacks. I loved that library (and the incredible beauty of the great circular room whatever that was called). It was a true oasis.

When did your interest in writing really develop and what was your journey to publication?

I had an English teacher at my secondary school (Hillfoot Hey – later demolished to make way for a housing estate) Miss Roberts who read out an essay I wrote when I was twelve or thirteen. To this day I remember her telling me how touched she had been by it and that it had made her cry when she had read it at home. That one comment stayed with me across the decades and I think gave me the confidence to try writing a full-length novel.

One day as a criminal barrister I was preparing a closing speech and suddenly wondered how the speech would sound if my client were writing it himself. That gave birth to the idea behind You Don't Know Me. I started writing it that evening and over the next few months carried on writing more each day. I hadn’t intended it to be published but once it was finished I took a risk and sent it to agents. The brilliant Camilla at Darley Anderson called me as soon as she read it and told me she wanted to sign me! That was the start and I haven’t looked back. I was just very lucky.

You use the medium of the crime thriller to deal with some weighty concepts like our pre-conceived notions about identity in You Don't Know Me and free will in All I Said Was True. As a lot of crime thrillers are about plot and 'the twist' do you look outside the traditional sources for your ideas?

I usually write about the issues that I struggle to understand and remain unresolved in my head. You Don’t Know Me is about the lines between morality and justice and also about how justice is not always even. When I wrote it, these issues were heavy on my mind. My latest book Finding Sophie is about love and grief and parenthood and the impossibility of protecting loved ones in a chaotic world. I wrote it because it was how I was feeling about my daughters. I worried about their innocence in a world of such gruesomeness. I think novels are the perfect vehicle for exploring important issues of the day. You smuggle in your message in a thriller and it stays with the reader (hopefully).

Your 'other' job is as a criminal barrister. How do you step out of that high pressured environment to become Imran Mahmood author signing books in a shop or speaking at a festival?

A criminal barrister is often a kind of story-teller. We try to deliver defences in the form of a narrative that make sense and have no plot holes, in a way that remains engaging enough to be memorable (if I’m doing it right). A novelist does the same thing. And the privilege of being able to step into the role of novelist after the day job is done is so welcome. It eases the pressure so that I can return to court refreshed.

Can you tell us a little about your new book Finding Sophie?

This is my favourite of my books so far. It is told from the perspective of parents Harry and Zara who lose their daughter Sophie. They don’t know if she is dead or alive – just that she is missing. So they go on the hunt to find out what became of her, and somewhere along the line someone ends up on trial for murder. It is a story of love and grief and the power of hope – wrapped up in a thriller! I'm delighted to have had such great reaction to it (the great Ian Rankin said he liked it!) and I can't wait for people to read it.

Finding Sophie has a US publisher as well as a UK one. Has this meant a change of approach for the US market?

The US market is different from the UK so I ended up having to re-write about a third of it. There are certain things that the US audience won’t tolerate – eg threats of or danger to dogs! There are also certain character types that US publishers find don't land as well with their audiences so that caused further changes to the cast. I don’t mind the changes. I think it ends up making for a better book overall

Is there anything you can share with us about your latest project?

The next one I am v excited about. It falls into the category of your worst nightmare coupled with having to make an impossible choice!

You Don't Know Me was successfully made into a BBC drama. Is there any news on I Know What I Saw, which was another possible TV drama?

The TV world is sadly often very slow. Development can often take years. We are still waiting to see what happens with it – but I am keeping my fingers crossed for news that I can share with you all soon!

Can you tell us one thing about yourself that your readers may not know?

Somewhere on a plaque in an Opera House in China – designed by the great (and sadly late) Zaha Hadid – is my name! Long story – but true!