Hywel Richard Pinto, who has always been a big fan of mystery/suspense books, was born in Bombay and raised in Mumbai. A couple of story ideas and the encouragement of his wife, Christina, and family led him to write his first story, The Monday Murder, which was shortlisted in 2013 by DNA-Hatchette as one of the Top 20 Manuscripts to watch out for. His subsequent masterpieces have received not just rave reviews from readers but also various accolades. His book, ‘Monsters of Mithi’ has also been used as reference material for a P.G project for forecasting the future of the city. His two books, Monsters of Mithi and The Monday Murder, are under discussion with OTT players to adapt them into a web series/web movie. Hywel Richard Pinto is gearing up for one of his biggest blockbusters, called High Tide, which is set in his native Goa and tells a tale of corruption and a power struggle against a backdrop of missing treasure. High Tide is set for a March 2025 release by TreeShade Books.

In an exclusive interview with Nitish Raj; Editor-in-Chief, Today Magazine the award-winning author talks about his experience of being a winner along with the various aspects of the winning masterpiece.

Q.1 What are your thoughts and feelings about winning the ‘First Runner-Up’ title in the Today Book Awards 2024?

HRP: Extremely happy. For any author, winning is truly something that surpasses all expectations. We, as authors, fall in love with our creations and always feel that it is the best. Relatives and friends motivate and are supportive; however, for the book to be judged by a panel with no stake absolutely in how the author feels, it is a very happy feeling.

Q.2 What was your thought process before nominating for the Today Book Awards 2024?

HRP: As I mentioned, any author would feel that the books written are better than the one before and award winners in their way. So, my thought process before nominating my book was one of hope that it would win and faith in the judges and process.

Q.3 What makes ‘Sialkot: The Origins’ so special?

HRP: Sialkot: The Origins is a story that revolves around a negative group of characters. Very few stories have been written from the ‘villain’ or negative character's point of view. The story also gives an insight as to why the group chooses to do the things they do and their backstory, which has brought them to where they are today. Sialkot - The Origins is also a unique book that acts as both a prequel and sequel, encompassing The Monsters of Mithi.

Q.4 ‘Sialkot: The Origins’ is a prequel to ‘The Monsters of Mithi’; how tough is it to write a prequel or sequel in the thriller genre?

HRP: I really enjoyed writing this book, developing the characters, going in depth into their lives, and introducing newer characters to fit into the storyline. In Monsters of Mithi, Sialkot is seen briefly, however, they are mostly portrayed as being negative and a mercenary team that is after money and revenge.

In Sialkot: The origins, their true nature is revealed, painting them as more human beings against a corrupt and bureaucratic system and less as mercenary agents of chaos.

Q.5 Your books have not only been awarded but have also been used as reference material in P.G. Projects. How does this motivate you as an author?

HRP: The Monsters of Mithi was used as the P.G. project that you mentioned. It was surprising as well as thrilling that a fiction book was used for this project, that too in a project in urban design and not in any literary related subject.

The core reason for writing The Monsters of Mithi was to highlight how our beloved cities are subject to the whims and fancies of the corrupt officials, politicians, and businesspeople who use the people and situations to their advantage under the pretense of development. To be able to inspire someone to use this theme to draw comparisons to real-world situations motivates me to write more stories using an environmental angle.

Q.6 The prequel of Sialkot: The Origins is in talks for adaptation with OTT platforms. Are we also going to see Sialkot: The Origin being adapted in a movie or a Web Series?

HRP: Sialkot: The Origins is both a prequel as well as a sequel, with the Monsters of Mithi actually able to fit within it. If the producer wants to create more intrigue about this shadowy organization, it would be better to combine both books. This would also give the viewers a much more thrilling journey through the web series, without it being a forced fit done just to increase the number of episodes.

Q.7 What would be your suggestions to aspiring authors?

HRP: If you have an idea, never give up on it, no matter what the world says. Give your project the best shot, taking tips from the people who are experts in the field, but always remember that the story or the idea is yours and yours alone.

At the end of the day, you should have fun writing or creating a story. Once you do that, it will show in the storyline, and readers will see it too.