Srinagar: Have you come across a Kashmiri teenager with a keen interest in Nazism or the 19th century fictional British detective Sherlock Holmes?
In the present era of internet when the reading habits are declining, young writer Muhammad Hussain Khan is not only interested in Nazism and English literature but has also penned down a book on the German dictator Adolf Hitler and attempted to recreate Sherlock Holmes in another collection of short stories.
Hussain, who has recently appeared in Class XII exams, was just 16 years old when he published his first book ‘The Man of the Reich’ that describes how Hitler spent his last days in a bunker during the 1945 War of Berlin. Later, he published another book titled the ‘Consulting Detective’ that he says was a tribute to Sherlock Holmes and now at the age of 19, he is back with a spy thriller ‘Guerrilla-8XV – Espionage, Black Ops, New World Order’.
Even as Kashmir valley has of late witnessed a flurry of amateurish writers keen to get themselves published and tell their stories to the world, Hussain’s choice of topics has amazed readers.
“I was nine years old when I wrote a comic book and later my passion for writing grew when I read ‘The Time Machine’ written by the father of science fiction HG Wells. In the meantime, I developed a lot of interest in History and International Relations besides fiction. That time I did not know much about publishing but a publisher once heard my speech on Adolf Hitler during a function. He encouraged me to write and that is how I published my first book that describes how Hitler spent his last days in a bunker,” Hussain, who hails from the Rambagh area of the city, told The Kashmir Monitor.
He said his second book was a collection of short stories where he attempted to recreate Sherlock Holmes and now his present book also had a Kashmir connection.
“People have been surprised by the choice of my topics. My first book was not widely read because I felt that people here are not interested in Adolf Hitler or Nazism. My second book that I published when I was 17 was a tribute to Sherlock Holmes and it is a collection of short stories. Now, my third book is a spy fiction novel where the story will start from Tehran, Iran. Though the events will happen in Kashmir, the entire story will revolve around various countries. The protagonist of the story has to execute some missions which will pave the way for the new world order. The book is ready to be published by a New Delhi based publisher,” he said.
“From Moscow to London’s Royal Opera House, the story moves in a dramatic tone. The novel gives an insight into the gritty world of espionage where a new world order is setting up. The story is action packed with many historical references which can be educational,” he added.
