Manjusiha writes from the London Buddhist Centre with news of the forthcoming publication of his novel, 'Whatever Happened to Harold Absalon?', published under his civil name of Simon Okotie. It’s due to be launched on the evening of Saturday 1 December at a special ‘Poetry East’ event - Poetry East being the LBC’s new poetry venue showcasing the work of well-known contemporary poets, exploring the relationship between poetry and spiritual life.

The book’s received great reviews - the novel, and Manjusiha’s linked 'reading on a bus' project, were featured in the UK’s Independent newspaper, and Turnaround introduce it thus - “A detective story set on a Routemaster bus: Simon Okotie's debut novel is as humorous as it is compelling. Marguerite, a down-at-heel detective, investigates, in minute and comically digressive detail, the disappearance of Harold Absalon, the Mayor's transport advisor. He follows and then is followed by Harold's wife Isobel and their young child around an unnamed city resembling London. Finding himself cornered by Isobel, it emerges that Marguerite may be more closely implicated than first appears...'. The opening chapters were featured on the White Review, and Nicholas Royle, commissioning editor at Salt, the publisher, comments “I think it's very bold. It's exactly the kind of novel I wanted to publish when starting this [literary fiction] list: experimental but accessible.” Finally Lee Rourke, author of The Canal comments "Modern, clever and fizzing with humour, Whatever Happened to Harold Absalon? not only maps in brilliant detail the pressures of everyday urban living, it also marks, in Simon Okotie, the arrival of a staggeringly original voice."

You’ll find Whatever Happened to Harold Absalon? on Amazon.