11-year-old from Pune author of bestselling crime novel

Written during the pandemic, Murder at the Leaky Barrel, Joshua’s first book, was published in July and is set in Ireland. While Joshua has never travelled outside India, he researched Ireland to create a realistic setting for his story. “I took the help of Google Maps to locate roads and areas,” says Joshua. His parents, Bejoy and Suma, knew he loved books, maintained a diary and carried it along every time he was outdoors and scribbled regular notes, they had no idea about his latest writing project till he had completed a few pages. “We were initially a bit sceptical. He had started writing a short story and was reluctant to share his work. Along with writing, he also drew caricatures wherever necessary,” says Bejoy Thomas, an associate professor in the Humanities and Social Sciences department at IISER Pune. “Since it is a murder-mystery, I did not know how our family or friends would react. We feared if we would be blamed for allowing Joshua to continue writing in this genre,” shares Suma, who is a journalist and writes on finance and economy for a Malayalam-based daily. Current Books, a popular publisher in Kerala, has now announced the Malayalam translation of Murder at the Leaky Barrel, while an audiobook is also in the making. Joshua, who loves the Harry Potter series, also plays the guitar and the music helps him think and write. Meanwhile, Joshua has already begun work on two other literary projects. “But neither is a murder mystery,” he said. Source - Indian Express