Job:-Author and Travel Writer
Website: kiaabdullah.com
X: @kiaabdullah
Instagram: @kiaabdullah
Introduction:-
Kia Abdullah is an author and travel writer.She has written for The Guardian, the BBC, The New York Times and The Times as well as a number of other papers. Her 2019 debut crime novel Take It Back was chosen by The Guardian, The Sunday Times and The Telegraph as one of the best new crime and thriller novels. Her third novel Next of Kin was long—lsted for the CWA Gold Dagger.
Current book?
I’ve carved out time to read IT by Stephen King in between the proofs I get sent for work. The book is 1,067 pages long, so is quite an undertaking, but I’m halfway through and absolutely love it so far. After the first few chapters, I literally went and checked that my front and back door were locked so that Pennywise couldn’t creep into my house from the gutter outside. That’s a pretty skilful thing for an author to make you do. King truly is one of the best storytellers of our time.
Favourite book:
My favourite book that I’ve read as an adult is Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. It’s beautifully written, rich in character and just completely immersive.
My favourite book overall, however, has to be Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery. I read that as a child and it had such a strong impact on my life. I grew up in a conservative Bengali family and much of my life felt prescripted: education, marriage, motherhood. Anne taught me that you could subvert cultural expectations and expect more from life.
Which two musicians would you invite to dinner and why?
Mariah Carey because I genuinely think she’s one of the greatest philosophers of our time. When she was in her early twenties, she insisted on paying for half the mansion she bought with her then-husband Tommy Mottola. Years later, when she was 40, she was asked about this in an interview. “Oh yeah,” she said drily. “Quite the silly little girl, I was.” I love that there was no pretence at feminism; she just said yeah that was stupid of me. I like that she is unapologetically who she is.
I’d probably also ask Jon Bon Jovi frankly because I’ve always had a crush on him.
How do you relax?
I go boxing three to four times a week, which completely de-stresses me. I came to boxing a year ago purely by chance. My next novel has a character, Safa Saleem, who takes a few boxing lessons and I thought, “If I’m going to write these scenes realistically, I’ll have to take a couple of lessons myself.” I booked two lessons with a local boxing coach and absolutely fell in love with the sport.
I like that it’s changed how I think of myself. I was never sporty or particularly active. In fact, there is a long history of British-Asian women not exercising enough, partly because our roles were traditionally in the home. To find myself in this very male dominated sport is both a surprise and a delight.
Which book do you wish you had written and why?
There are so many books I love which are not in my style or genre: The Secret History, The Time Traveler’s Wife, One Hundred Years of Solitude among many, many others. If I can narrow the focus to crime, then I’d choose Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. It’s so sharply observed and brilliantly written – and of course has one of the best twists of all time.
What would you say to your younger self if you were just starting out as a writer.
It will happen. Be patient. But also look up compound interest.
How would you describe your latest published book?
Those People Next Door is a tense courtroom thriller about nightmare neighbours and how far we’re prepared to go to defend the people we love.
With A Dance to the Music of Crime: the artful crime to murder being the theme at St Hilda's this year, which are you three favourite albums?
Can I say HIStory: Past, Present and Future by Michael Jackson? It’s a bit of a cheat because it’s a compilation album, but I’ll have it if I can.
Moondance by Van Morrison. I’m never sad when listening to Van Morrison.
I honestly can’t decide between Tracy Chapman by Tracy Chapman and The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill by Lauryn Hill. Please let me have both. - Of course!
If you were given the ability to join a band which would it be and why?
I’d choose the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Critics of the band say all their music sounds alike and maybe there’s some truth to that, but I’m a fan. In reality, I’d probably have a breakdown. I am very organised and methodical, and don’t know if I could cope with their vibe of ‘California whatever’.
If you were to re-attend a concert which would it be and why
I was lucky enough to see Michael Jackson in concert in 1997, but I was in the second row and had to be pulled out because I was getting crushed. I watched most of the show through a crack in the makeshift medical room. I’d like to do that concert again.
What are you looking forward to at St Hilda's?
I hear that St Hilda’s has a really relaxed, informal vibe. I’m looking forward to meeting readers and catching up with author friends long into the night, perhaps with a glass or two of wine.
Those People Next Door by Kia Abdullah (HarperCollins Publishers)
You can choose your house. Not your neighbours. Welcome to your dream home. Salma Khatun is extremely hopeful about Blenheim, the safe suburban development to which she, her husband and their son have just moved. Their family is in desperate need of a fresh start, and Blenheim feels like the place to make that happen. Meet your neighbours. Not long after they move in, Salma spots her neighbour, Tom Hutton, ripping out the anti-racist banner her son put in their front garden. She chooses not to confront Tom because she wants to fit in. It's a small thing, really. No need to make a fuss. So Salma takes the banner inside and puts it in her window instead. But the next morning she wakes up to find her window smeared with paint. And prepare for the nightmare to begin. This time she does confront Tom, and the battle lines between the two families are drawn. As things begin to escalate and the stakes become higher, it's clear that a reckoning is coming... And someone is going to get hurt.
Information about 2024 St Hilda's College Crime Fiction Weekend and how to book online tickets can be found here.
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