QUESTIONS WITH RUPA MAHADEVAN

Congratulations on being a Joffe Books Prize winner! Briefly introduce yourself to our readers and highlight your journey as an author up until applying for the prize.

I’m Rupa Mahadevan, winner of the Joffe Book Prize 2024 and debut author of the psychological thriller, Nine Dolls. I’m a mum of two and live in Edinburgh with my husband and the aforementioned children. When I’m not reading or writing, or trying to juggle motherhood with a full-time job, you can catch me napping or dancing to random tunes.

Nine Dolls centres around Navaratri, the Hindu Festival of Dolls. For our readers that aren't familiar with the festival, could you describe it please?

Navaratri is one of the many Hindu festivals, symbolising the timeless triumph of good over evil and celebrating women’s empowerment. The word Nava-Ratri literally means ‘nine nights,’ and the festival spans nine nights and ten days, dedicated to the worship of Goddess Durga and her epic battle against the demon king Mahishasuran.

According to legend, Mahishasuran — the Bull Demon — was a powerful king blessed with a boon that made him nearly invincible. No man, god, animal, illness or age could defeat him. Empowered by this gift, he became arrogant and merciless, spreading fear across the world.

The gods, unable to stop him, combined their divine energies to create Maa Durga — a fierce and radiant goddess embodying unmatched courage, wisdom and strength. For eight nights, she fought Mahishasuran’s army, destroying it piece by piece. On the ninth night, she faced Mahishasuran himself in a fierce duel under the starry sky. After a relentless battle, Durga finally defeated him, restoring peace and righteousness.

The tenth day, known as Vijayadashami or Dussehra, marks this victory and is celebrated as the day of triumph.

What inspired you to bring this sacred cultural tradition together with traditional locked-room mystery?

Bommai Golu — meaning ‘dolls display’ — the dolls we set up during Navaratri, has always been a big part of my childhood. Navaratri is actually my favourite festival, even more than Diwali, which is far more widely celebrated. There’s something so visual and colourful about it — a way of storytelling that really captured my imagination.

When I was growing up, my sister and I would compete over whose side of the dolls told the better story. Looking back, that’s really where my love of stories began.

At the same time, I’ve always been passionate about crime fiction. You’d think it would be a no-brainer to combine the two — the nine nights of Navaratri, with their central theme of good versus evil, naturally lend themselves to the structure of a crime thriller.

But the real spark came when my writer friend, Angela Nurse, asked me if I’d ever thought of weaving the festival into a mystery story. That’s when the idea truly clicked — and the rest, as they say, is history.

How did you react/celebrate when you first discovered you had won the Joffe Books Prize?

21 November 2024 is a day I’ll never forget — that’s when I found out I’d won the Joffe Books Prize. I was told over a Zoom call with Jasper Joffe and my then editor, Jasmine. Even the night before, when the call was set up, I didn’t believe it. I convinced myself they were going to let me down gently with something like, ‘Your story was fab, but . . .’

Instead, Jasper opened the call with a single word: ‘Congratulations.’ Everything after that was a blur. I think there may have been a tear or two. There was a lot of jumping and screaming! I couldn’t wait to shout out to the world. But the real buzz — the life-changing impact of it all — only sank in much later. Honestly, it truly cemented when I held the printed copies in my hand for the first time.

I can’t thank Joffe Books and Audible enough for their commitment to underrepresented writers. I’m thrilled for readers to discover crime that’s flavoured with cultural wit!

How will you celebrate publication day?

I’ve taken the day off and I’m really looking forward to it. I’ll be joining two virtual sessions — one on the Joffe Parties Facebook page and another with the UK Crime Book Club. If you’re free, I’d love to connect with as many readers as possible.

Since publication day coincides with the dolls festival this year, I may even give a little tour of my house dolls during the events! Beyond that, I don’t have a fixed plan. I’ll probably wander into some local shops (armed with tissues!) to see my book on display. My parents are visiting from India for the launch, so we’ll likely round off the day with a celebratory meal — maybe Mexican food or just desserts.