Tamil Nadu tale tickles Brit hearts

The novel, White Man Falling, written by Mike Stock is set in a small town in Tamil Nadu.

A novel written by Lancashire-based Mike Stock that is set in south India has caused a literary stir in Britain and has been shortlisted for the prestigious Goss First Novel Award.

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Stock, 40, who lives in Edinburgh, was born and brought up in Adlington. He lived in India for a year while he prepared to write the novel White Man Falling, set in the sub-continent.

The book, which was published earlier this year, is described as a tale of domestic catastrophe, accidental crime-busting, deluded match-making and mystical absurdity set in a small town in Tamil Nadu.

Stock, who has previously written children's books, said: "To research the book, I spent a year living in a small village in Tamil-Nadu, the southernmost state in India and was welcomed by the people there.

"To be nominated for the award is a reward for myself and my publishers, who always take a great risk in supporting a new writer."