Thrillers most preferred in crime writing

Thiruvananthapuram: The conversation on ‘Has Indian Crime Writing come of age? Of late, the crime fiction writers have found themselves more popular than ever. But does that mean we have what it takes to keep the readers on the edge of the seat?’ conducted at Mathrubhumi International Festival of Letters (MBIFL’19) witnessed a discussion on both fictional and non-fictional aspects of crime writing. Award winning writer and author of the famous Muzaffar Jang series Madhulika Liddle, the distinguished police personnel and author of ‘The Tandoor Murder’ Maxwell Pereira and Dr. Jijo Thulaseedharan participated in the conversation held at Kanakakkunnu here on Saturday.

Moderated by Dr. Jijo Thulaseedharan, the conversation started with the difference between fictional and non-fictional crime writing. Maxwell Pereira said that he writes in a blunt police language and so cannot try his hand in fictional crime writing. But the readers of crime writing prefer sensational stuff over serious narratives.  He also noted that his book was written with the intention to give a clear picture of police, judiciary and investigation to the general public.

He added that the resources for crime writing are rather low in our country. Even the modern equipment for crime investigation was introduced very late here. The application of DNA test to prove crimes were first rejected by the court. However, it turned out to be trustworthy source of evidence later. The book ‘The Tandoor Murder’ even affected the general public’s perception of the tandoor ovens in India, he said.

Madhulika Liddle pointed out that her books contain more history than mystery. So, the mystery in the plot is diluted with the historical background. They are written after conducting thorough research. The readers often find the works more complex to understand for this reason. She also said that she does not like being addressed as Indian Agatha Christie, because their style of writing is entirely different from each other.

Talking about the high demand of thrillers, she said that readers prefer thrillers over other sub genres of crime writing. She noted that some people even get inspired from the crime movies and fiction and commit crimes. The readers expect a hook at the end of the book always and prefer those books which keep them on the edge of the seat. Even publishers encourage such types of books as they do well in the market, she said.

The programme was conducted at the Festival Hall at Kanakakkunnu at 3 in the afternoon. Mathrubhumi International Festival of Letters 2019 is conducted in eight venues here from January 31 to February 3.