With The Phoenix, Bilal Siddiqui returns to his favourite genre – the spy thriller. The author, who made a sparkling debut with his first book – The Bard of Blood, tries to keep the plots fast-paced and the characters relatable. “What really helped me actualize my dreams of writing a spy novel was working with my mentor S. Hussain Zaidi sir,” he says about his latest novel published by Penguin Random House India.
The fast-paced thriller’s protagonist is a disgraced spy, Aryaman, whose wife has been murdered. As he investigates further, he uncovers a bioterrorism plot against the country. Along with an unlikely crew – a former colleague, a scientist, and his own mother – Aryaman races against time in an attempt to foil the attack. “The idea for the Phoenix came to me sometime in late 2017. I wanted to write another spy-thriller after Bard of Blood, but with a different setting and a different conflict. At that time, the idea of a bioweapon and a virus seemed novel. Who knew about the coronavirus though!” Siddiqui exclaims.
On his agenda someday, is to write a coming-of-age drama. “A comedy that talks about the gap between this generation and the previous one. It would be worth a shot but I need to commit to a storyline completely in my head before I start penning it down,” he tells us. TMM sat down for a fun chat with the author.
TMM: If you could invite five thriller writers (dead or alive) for a dinner party, who would they be and why?
BS: Ian Fleming, Don Winslow, Stephen King, Daniel Silva and Harlan Coben- for no other reason except that I look up to them and their work is inspiring for a writer like me, who is yet to establish himself.
TMM: If you could ask one question to any author in the world, who would the author be and what would be your question?
BS: I would ask Khaled Hosseini how he manages to create such poignant tales that resonate with so many people across the globe. What drives him to write the way he does.
TMM: Name a recent book you found difficult to put down and why?
BS: The Ride of a Lifetime by Bob Iger. It was extremely inspirational reading about his professional experiences.
TMM: Name three books lying on your bookshelf that are waiting to be read.
BS: Quichotte by Salman Rushdie. Shot by Shot by Steven d Katz is a very good book on film direction and I’m reading it to learn, so I’m taking my time. Choke by Chuck Palahniuk.
TMM: An author you would like to collaborate with for your next thriller?
BS: Oh, I would love to write something with my mentor – S. Hussain Zaidi.
TMM: A genre you’re convinced you will be terrible at?
BS: A love story. The soppy kind.
TMM: Your favourite writing spot in your house?
BS: My desk. I usually start working post-midnight, whenever it’s silent and I get to be with my thoughts alone.
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