Jay Bhatti

Find books by Jay Bhatti on table number 43
at the summer
Oxford Indie Book Fair
on 13-July 2025

See home page for details, map and more.

Life is depressing; it’s filled with more low moments than high. It doesn’t change when you’re older, as your responsibilities only increase. You have to pass exams, learn to drive and find a job, one you may not even want but need to survive. It won’t pay much, be fun, or even be something you enjoy. Let’s face it: How many people are working the jobs they dreamed of as children? It sucks but how much it sucks comes down to how you approach it. I, for example, took it as a chance to develop myself.

 I did this in 2018 when I took a job with my first allocated hour lunch break. You can spend it looking at pointless reels or posts, but that becomes tiring after a few minutes. Some would look to take naps, take a walk or drive home to watch TV, but I instead took this chance to read. At first, all those books were based on popular films/TV. Your Harry Potter & Game of Thrones, but then I started to expand it, reading in different genres, different tones. I was hooked, the stories, the characters, the worlds created and the emotion I felt reading them.

 A dozen or so books later, I had that crazy idea of what mine would look like. Once this happened, I couldn’t put it back. I had to explore the concept, so I wrote every evening, every free weekend, and every moment my bosses weren’t looking. At first, it was nothing of value, ideas of cool little thrillers or characters I wanted to see, but they stayed with me, so I continued. It took years, every day doubting myself if this was worth my time or energy, but there is nothing prouder than after years of writing & writing, to hold an actual physical copy of your own book. It is a true ‘pinch me’ moment and will stick with me until retirement.

 I know I won’t become a household name, someone invited to events or schools to give talks or be able to support myself on my royalties (Especially in this economy), yet it won’t stop me. As the world turns crueller, my writing is an escape from it, a chance to spend an hour a day using my creativity to tell stories I’m passionate about. It gives me comfort, but beyond that, it gives my life meaning – meaning that beyond every low moment, there is some happiness in it.

So, if you want to read a gripping spy thriller written by an enthusiastic up-and-coming author, look no further.