PENG SHEPHERD

MEET THE FORMER DEFENCE SERVICES COORDINATOR BEHIND THE BOOK OF M

Tell us about your protagonists.

ory and Max are husband and wife, hiding from the strange phenomenon causing people’s shadows to disappear – until Max’s shadow disappears too, and they’re forced to confront the curse head-on. then there’s naz, a woman whose fate becomes entangled with theirs, and “the amnesiac”, the most mysterious of them all...

What sparked the novel?

i knew i wanted to write about shadows, but it wasn’t until i stumbled across “Zero Shadow day” – a real day in india when every year, everyone’s shadows disappear for just a few minutes – that the seed was sown.

You studied International Studies and Diplomacy – did that feed into it?

a little bit! in the early panic, visas get revoked, borders close to contain the spread, and leaders give speeches to reassure citizens. the world falls apart pretty quickly after that.

How long did it take to write?

i brainstormed for a long time before i started writing, but once i did, it seemed fast. i finished the first draft in nine months, then revised for six.

Did you do much research?

Most of it was centred around Zero Shadow day, as well as several ancient myths in the Rigveda. i also studied up on elephants – it’ll make sense once you start reading! IB

The Book Of M is published on 28 June.