Episode 60: The long winding road from Lahore to the bookshelves - with Awais Khan

Every writer dreams of being a published author. It's tough enough when you're based in a country like the UK with hundreds of agents and dozens of publishers to target, but when your own country has almost no fiction publishing scene - it's far harder. That was the challenge Awais Khan faced. At 25, with two degrees to his name, he followed his heart and signed up for the renowned Faber Writing Academy, studying online from his home in Pakistan. But finding a way to publication wasn't easy. Dozens of rejections followed before a London literary agent expressed an interest. Now working on his third novel, Awais has been widely praised for his second No Honour, a gripping depiction of the issue of honour killings in his native Pakistan. 

Also this week, Adrian and Rebecca reflect on the future of Blackwells, and the latest industry trend in signing up stars from TikTok.