Manish Chauhan: ‘Don’t let research overpower the human elements of the story’
BY Maya Fernandes
29th Jan 2026
In this interview Manish Chauhan, author of the debut novel Belgrave Road, shares his advice on writing a dual narrative and creating a strong sense of place.
‘It’s important to honour your characters which means understanding their history and their motivations. If your characters are from cultures or backgrounds which are very different to your own, you will need to make them empathetic and believable.’
We caught up with Manish to discuss his time studying with us, his go-to reading recommendations and the inspiration behind his debut novel.
Belgrave Road takes its title from a well-known street in Leicester, the city where you were born. In what ways did that setting influence the novel’s central themes? And did that strong sense of place emerge before the relationship between Mira and Tahliil, or did they develop alongside each other?
Even though I haven’t lived in Leicester for many years, almost all of my fiction, whether it be short stories or novels, have had some connection with the city. I knew from the offset that I wanted the novel to be set in my hometown, primarily as it’s a city I know well (I still visit often), but also because it is so diverse and interesting that the stories seem to offer themselves up ceaselessly and endlessly. I hail from an immigrant background, and the lives of immigrants (through different generations) are something I have always been drawn to. The journey of my grandfather into England versus that of my mother, for example.
Belgrave Road is, in many ways, a metaphor for the Indian community in Leicester which has strengthened and evolved over the years. That said, the novel was first conceived as a love story between two immigrants from different cultures and backgrounds. The setting was simply a lucky coincidence that fed well into their narratives and the story I wanted to tell. I wanted to explore what Leicester might be like for people who arrive in it as adults. This forced me to look at it with fresh eyes which added a further dimension to the writing process. Once I had my characters and my setting, I discovered that both of these things fed off each other and developed simultaneously. It became a case of discovering new people and rediscovering a city. Interestingly, whilst I was drafting the novel and up until I secured a publishing deal, the novel was called ‘Mira and Tahliil’.
The novel unfolds through a dual narrative, alternating between Mira and Tahliil. When it came to crafting their viewpoints, did their voices arrive naturally or were they challenging to pin down?
I knew the novel would be a dual narrative before I began writing it, and the ‘voices’, by which I mean the points of view of Mira and Tahliil, arrived surprisingly naturally. I had a rough idea of their arcs and the patterns of their lives and the research I conducted was to deepen my understanding so that each character could be presented naturally/effortlessly. What proved to be a greater challenge was each character’s relationship with the English language, something neither of them spoke or understood very well. I had to consider how they spoke to themselves, to the people around them and finally to each other. To help with this, I watched interviews and documentaries. Their voices had to evolve over the course of the novel as they grew more comfortable with their surroundings and with each other. At times this was difficult to get right.
What advice would you offer to writers aiming to portray different identities, and the struggles that come with them, in a way that feels both sensitive and accessible to readers?
I think the biggest piece of advice is to not let whatever research you do overpower the human elements of the story, as these are the things that will ultimately connect you with your readers. I’m a firm believer in emotions being free of gender/creed/colour. As such, if these elements are strong enough, the connection between the prose and the reader will invariably deepen. That said, it is also important to honour your characters which means understanding their history and their future and their motivations as they move through their lives. If your characters are from cultures or backgrounds which are very different to your own, you will need to make them empathetic and believable. This can be tricky because each member of a culture or community will have their own experiences and relationships with that culture.
Trying to represent an entire culture is like trying to hold sand in your fist. So, rather than try, I would suggest picking a few elements that are interesting or engaging and trying to incorporate these into your characters lives. So long as the human connection is strong, these additional details will help bring the work to life. One thing I found useful when researching Somali history and culture was to watch documentaries as a way of hearing about people’s experiences through their own words. This combined with readings novels and poems relating to Somalis or Somalia gave me a broad range of material to work with. But my hope is always that the research sits quietly in the background of the novel and gives the reader enough comfort without being overbearing.
What novel do you most frequently find yourself recommending to others?
There are three at the moment – The Bee Sting by Paul Murray, Notes on a Scandal by Zoe Heller and The Good Terrorist by Doris Lessing.
You studied with us on our flagship Writing Your Novel – Three Months and Writing TV Drama – Three Months courses. How did your time with us shape your approach to writing?
I began writing Belgrave Road for the sole purpose of having something to submit with my application to the CBC course. I have always found it useful to have my work workshopped as I believe exposing the work to readers is vital to understanding its strengths and weaknesses and whether it achieves its ultimate purpose, which is to communicate. What the course gave me was a wide, varied and generous readership of writers. This meant that the work was being looked at from many different, interesting angles. We were taught by Charlotte Mendelson who was fantastic at weaving the feedback into something useful and meaningful whilst also helping us improve our writing by way of exercises. I had been writing for many years before starting the course, but the course gave me space and support to complete the first draft of Belgrave Road. The feedback I received on the course gave me confidence in my writing and in my novel, both of which helped me finish it and submit it to various competitions which in turn led to securing an agent. I continue to be a member of various writing groups and find them to be invaluable when it comes to improving my work.
Many of our students find lifelong writing friends on our courses. Are you still in touch with anyone you met on the course?
Very much so. About half of our intake formed a writers’ group once the course had ended and we still meet once a month to workshop each other’s work. We have become good friends and formed a much-needed support network as we navigate the world of writing/publishing. Personally, I think finding a handful of dedicated readers who you can trust with your work is worth its weight in gold and I feel happy and privileged to have found this. My writing buddies are generous and truthful and kind, qualities I feel are necessary. We are all writing very different things which also means things are kept interesting and there is no real chance of growing bored!
And finally, what’s next for your writing journey?
I’m currently working on a second novel also set in Leicester, this time about a different sort of love – the kind that is built over the course of a long marriage. The idea is to write three novels set in Leicester, featuring characters from different walks of life. Love letters to my hometown. And of course, I continue to write short stories when I want a break from something long form.
Get your hands on a copy of Belgrave Road, out now from Faber & Faber.
Manish was a student on our online Writing Your Novel – Three Months course in 2019 and our Writing TV Drama – Three Months course in 2022.
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