Mohsin Hamid

"I wanted to write a very big story — of how the world changes, how people are confused and terrified of migration — as a small novel. I hope the reader is able to grasp the many worlds in it," says Mohsin Hamid over the phone from Lahore. His Man Booker Prize shortlisted novel, Exit West (Penguin Random House), looks at the global migrant crisis and transforms it into an apocalyptic scenario with seismic socio-economic implications. Yet, at the heart of this chaos lies the first love between Nadia and Saeed who are changing and growing apart despite their bond. Edited excerpts from the interview: