Salman Shaheen is a British Labour Party politician and now novelist, whose debut novel, Freebourne, begins like a cosy crime, the kind one can read curled up on a couch with a cup of hot chocolate. Soon, however, it evolves into a thriller that keeps the reader guessing until the end.

Set in a picturesque town in southern England, the book’s protagonist is Dr Harry Coulson, a ‘mind-tech entrepreneur’, a term Shaheen uses to describe technology that directly interacts with human consciousness. Coulson moves to Freebourne to start a new life after a messy divorce.

There hasn't been a murder in Freebourne in over 100 years. But, on his first evening in the town, Coulson discovers the body of Serena Brandreth, the daughter of one of the wealthiest men in the county. He becomes a suspect in her murder, pulling him into a dangerous web of secrets and lies.

The book will be launched on November 1 and is available for pre-order online. Shaheen speaks about the themes of his book, his message to the world, and his literary influences.

Your grandmother was one of the most famous Urdu short-story writers and critics of her time. How did your South Asian heritage shape your love for culture and writing?

My grandmother, Mumtaz Shirin, was a prominent writer in the subcontinent. Sadly, she passed away before I was born, but her love for the written word – of stories – was passed down to my father and through him to me. I am overjoyed now to be releasing my debut novel in India, and I hope it honours her legacy. I also remember my father reading Shakespeare to me when I was only six years old, and my love of languages and writing stems from my heritage.

After finishing my university studies, I moved to London's diverse borough of Hounslow. I became active in the local community and was elected as a councillor. Representing this community fascinated me and let me reconnect with my roots.

You have described Freebourne as a genre-defying novel that blends the intrigue of a murder mystery with the weight of literary fiction. How did you navigate that balance without letting either element overshadow the other? 

I did not want to write a conventional whodunit. Freebourne is a philosophical thriller disguised as a murder mystery. I want to challenge the idea that crime thrillers can't be serious and literary. Murder mysteries can do more than entertain. They are the ideal vehicle for weighty themes because they have mass-market appeal.

When I was a 20-year-old student in Cambridge, author Jill Paton Walsh offered me some advice: "If you have something meaningful to say to the world, smuggle it in a murder mystery.” So I have smuggled these political and philosophical ideas within the conventions of a murder mystery. 

The novel combines a fast-paced plot and twists with literary depth. Its characters, style, and language are intentionally rich.

The novel is set in the near future against the backdrop of advancing AI technology. A debate runs through the book over whether technology, which can erase memories and control the mind, is beneficial or detrimental to humanity. 

There is a big Black Mirror-like twist towards the end. That is why I describe Freebourne as genre-defying.

In Freebourne, you explore the intersection of technology and humanity, delving into philosophical questions about what happens when humans attempt to play God. What are your own thoughts on how technology is changing the world?

Technology, the genie, is out of the bottle now, and it's never going back. Technology is wondrous for progress, but if it's in the wrong hands, or if we don't put sufficient checks and balances on it, it can do more harm than good. 

Societies globally, including India and the UK, are in a state of tremendous flux. We are on the cusp of an AI revolution that is transforming the economy.

In the book, Dr Harry Coulson is on a mission to invent a new technology called Polaris, which will enable people to examine their traumatic memories and process them, helping them to overcome grief and pain.

A philosophical debate runs through the novel over whether that's a good thing or a bad thing. What would we be if we could shut off our pain? Would we still be good people? 

Even in free societies, much of our lives is controlled by technology, government, algorithms, social media, or the media we consume. We may think we're free, but we must ask ourselves: Are we truly free? What are technology and society doing to condition us? 

Who are your biggest influences, literary and outside the world of literature?

I've always been drawn to dark, speculative stories that examine the intersection of technology and human society, from Charlie Brooker's Black Mirror to Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go.

My earliest literary influences were what my dad read to me as a child: Shakespeare and Tolkien. There are many Shakespearean references in Freebourne, and the politician Elliott Nwosu, a character in the novel, is inspired by Othello's Iago. 

Writers who've influenced my prose include Zadie Smith, Gabriel García Márquez, Nabokov, Salman Rushdie, Kerouac, and Jill Paton Walsh. Orwell is a big influence, as are Rousseau and Marx, and so is Star Trek! 

The book is set in a small English town, yet it deals with global themes of technology and power. What drew you to this juxtaposition?

I love the English convention of a small-town murder mystery. This kind of juxtaposition between what the reader expects and what they get keeps them on edge. 

It pulls the rug out from under your feet, and it’s meant to create unease and tension, making people feel that something's not quite right.

What was the most challenging part of writing Freebourne?

The novel had been in the works since 2021, and the characters had been part of me for a very long time. There are some deaths in the book that really touched me, and I found it challenging to write these because I identified with many of the characters.

How does being a politician impact your literary work?

Everything I write is political to some degree, whether it's journalism or fiction. Freebourne isn't a political thriller, but it's a thriller unafraid to tackle topics such as civil liberties, the impact of technology, and state control over human freedom. A central character is an MP. 

He's not based on anyone I know, but I see the rise of right-wing populism and politicians exploiting tragic situations. The character is very much a reaction to it - as I describe him, "a fly drawn to the opportunity of a carcass". Look at what Nigel Farage is doing, whipping up hatred over immigration in the UK, and that description would be quite charitable.

As for my own politics, I'm involved in environmental projects and have led campaigns to preserve green spaces. I have fought to protect acres of wildlife habitats, and launched efforts to transform wasteland across Hounslow into community gardens for children in deprived areas.

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