So how does he gather ideas for his novels?

"All three of my novels have been inspired by events in India. As I often say, just reading one day's newspaper is enough to give me ideas of four or five different plots. Then I begin my research, especially since very often I have to write about subjects that I do not have personal knowledge of." Swarup, who wants to be recognised as a diplomat who writes, sees himself as a lucky writer. "I did not have to deal with a pile of rejection slips in getting my debut novel 'Q&A' published. For the present novel, Simon & Schuster showed a great deal of enthusiasm from the very beginning so I had no difficulty in going with them," he says. Swarup began his career as a diplomat with the Indian Foreign Service after graduating from university, and this saw him stationed in countries such as Ethiopia, South Africa and the UK. He released his debut novel "Q&A" in 2005 to critical acclaim, after having "written it in two months in Golders Green".