A WOKINGHAM resident has published his first novel and says he has another project in the works.
Ahmad Kalim was born in Karachi, Pakistan, with profound deafness as a result of Mitochondrial Disease.
Shortly after, he moved to Berkshire along with his family to help receive treatment for his condition, which as well as deafness can cause multiple organ failure.
Now at 27, Mr Kalim has successfully published his first book, Bloody Justice, which follows the events in the wake of a double killing at Coney Island.
It centres on Detective Knowles’ pursuit of justice as the mafia and police influence on the case complicates the investigation.
Speaking on his inspirations, Mr Khalim says that his work was informed by: “various crime dramas and video games combined.”
Despite this, he says it was a recent aim of his to finish and publish the book: “I had the desire to write about three years ago and begin writing a year later.
“I was at the point in my life where I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, so I just went for it.”
Following the publication of the book, he said he had some small reservations: “My personality is not the kind which likes too much attention, but it’s really nice to see my work out there.
“It’s pretty cool to think that this book can last a very long time.”
Following Bloody Justice, Mr Kalim is now exploring his experiences with his condition and the medical treatments he has undergone for a documentary.
His mother, Zobia, said: “He needs daily medication, he’s had 21 surgeries so far; to say the least it’s been difficult.
“But he completed his GCSEs, A-Levels, went to college and studied computing, and we’re really proud of all he has achieved.
“When he asked me to proof read his work, I was quite amazed at what he had written.”
She explained that for his next work, Mr Kalim is being interviewed about his experiences: “We’ve been working on the process of interviews over a period of around three years.
“So we have hours and hours of audio and transcripts talking about his views as a young person going through his treatment and diagnoses.
“It will also look at how we managed as his parents with hospitals and moving to this country for treatment.”
She said that the family was still working on getting the materials together into publishable form, but in the mean time, Mr Kalim is busy working on his second novel.
“I feel so proud as a parent, not only because of what he has achieved, but because he is making such good use of his skills and his time.
“For me, it’s a story of hope, and I hope that it can inspire others.”
Ahmad Kalim’s debut novel, Bloody Justice, is out now, available on Amazon.
