My name is Almas Khan and I am the author of two published novels: Poppadom Preach and Chapati and Chips. I was born and raised in Yorkshire, but I've lived in Surrey for the last five years, in one of those tree-lined streets where the residents spend all weekend doing DIY, or burning sausages in the back garden. My house is home to me, my calm-in-the-face-of-chaos husband, and one or two children, depending on the time of year. We used to have three rabbits and two goldfish, but - as Dilly's mother might say - everything dies in the end.

As well as writing, I'm also mad about nail technology, knitting, cross-stitching and cooking, so I guess you could say I'm quite domesticated. I also like talking. Give me a subject, point me in the direction of the audience, and I'll do the rest.

I wrote my first novel, Chapati and Chips, in 1993. It was a big hit in my home town of Bradford, but instead of writing more books, I made the mistake of setting all that aside so I could help my first husband develop his career. In 2003, I came to my senses and set him aside, so I could get back to writing.

The result is Poppadom Preach: many years in the making, and hopefully the funniest, warmest and most poignant book you'll ever read. I've used the story of Dilly Shah's upbringing to shine a light on a very private, often hidden part of British life, and to explore the ways that children adapt to survive when confronted with domestic abuse. I'm not a fan of dry worthy literature, so my own personal challenge was to create, in Poppadom Preach, an easy-reading and joyous celebration of childhood, but with some serious issues too. If all it does is make you laugh, that's fine with me. If it makes you laugh AND cry, that's even better. And if you're inspired and motivated by Dilly's story, that's best of all.
Love from Almas xx
P.S. There's lots more info about Poppadom Preach on my website: www.almaskhan.com