Moin Mir is a Britain based writer of Indian origin. Born into a family of writers
he grew up deeply influenced by English, Urdu and Persian literature. His grandfather’s
analytical works on Omar Khayyam the 11th century Persian mathematician and philosopher
and scholarship on Sufism influenced him immensely.
His deep interest in history propelled him to make the genre his main subject.
In 2018 his first non-fiction book ‘The Prince Who Beat The Empire’ was published
in Britain by Amberley Books. The book traces the annexation of Surat, Mughal India’s
foremost port by the English East India Company and the riveting account of the
Prince of Surat’s life in Victorian England while seeking justice against the colonising
corporation. Dominic West, leading British actor described it as ‘A moving story of a deeply
sympathetic hero: courageous and gentle who took on a monolithic tyrant and defeated it’.
The book was earlier published in India in 2017 by Roli Books under the title ‘SURAT: Fall
of a Port. Rise of a Prince’. It received much critical acclaim in India and Shashi Tharoor,
India’s former External Affairs Minister and current Member of Parliament from Kerela described it as ‘A fascinating story of triumph and fortitude reanimated in delightful prose. Painstakingly
crafted and richly researched this is a remarkable story of a quest for justice against the might of Empire’.
Co-authored books include ‘Tales from the Life of Bruce Wannell’ and ‘Mirza Ghalib and the Mirs of Gujarat.
Mir’s current project is an ambitious historical novel seeped in the philosophy of the great Sufis.
He has spoken at leading literature festivals including Jaipur Literature Festival,
Chalke Valley History Festival (Salisbury), Beyond Borders Edinburgh, Times Lit Fest Mumbai,
Royal Asiatic Society London, KSLF at Kings College London, SOAS, Daunt Books, Christies London,
Voewood Festival Norfolk, Evesham Festival of Words, Curious Arts Festival Sussex, Holkham Hall
Norfolk and Roli Books History Hour.
Website coming soon