66: How James Crabtree Wrote a Critically Acclaimed Book

In this episode I chat with James Crabtree, a journalist and author of the new book, Billionaire Raj: A Journey Through India’s New Gilded Age.

The Billionaire Raj charts the rise of the new billionaire class behind India’s rapid economic rise. In this eloquently-written page-turner, James combines on-the-ground reporting, rigorous economic research, and vivid storytelling as he brings to life the fascinating yet not very widely-known tale behind the world’s second most populous nation.

Before writing his book, James was the Mumbai bureau chief for the Financial Times. He’s currently an associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore, where he teaches courses on leadership and political communication.

Since it was published in July, Billionaire Raj has received several glowing reviews by top-tier media. Along with just a handful of newly published books, Billionaire Raj was short-listed for the Financial Times/McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award. It was also recently named by Amazon as one of the 100 best books of 2018.

In our conversation, James explains the process he followed as he wrote his book, from 4 am writing sessions at a coffee shop across the street where he lives in Singapore, to his “a-ha” moment while doing laps in the swimming pool, a pivotal event that led to the three-part structure he eventually adopted for his book.

James also explains how he balances research with writing, why having memorable characters matters, and why he rewrote his prologue 100 times before he felt it was ready for publication.

You can find the show notes to this episode with links to James’s website and his book on Amazon over at writewithimpact.com/episode66

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