Q

Why author Naben Ruthnum had to become Nathan Ripley to write his first mystery novel

Nathan Ripley is the pen name of Naben Ruthnum. The novelist talks about his debut thriller, Find You in the Dark, and explains why he adopted a pseudonym.
Nathan Ripley is the author of the thriller Find You in the Dark. (Simon & Schuster)

Novelist Nathan Ripley recently released his debut crime thriller, Find You in the Dark​, but the book's sense of mystery extends to the author himself — because Nathan Ripley is a pseudonym. Ripley, whose real name is Naben Ruthnum, explains why he adopted an alias, and what it says about the ways writers of South Asian descent are stereotyped in the publishing industry.  

You can see Ripley at Hamilton's gritLit Festival on Sunday, April 15, and at a Toronto Public Library author talk (Northern District branch) on Wednesday, April 18. 

Produced by Stuart Berman