Local author is taking on Harry Potter

They’re riding high on the Amazon charts and Mustaquem Kazi, 40 – who writes under the name M K Drake – already has 31,000 followers on Facebook.

The father-of-two from Poynters Road is bubbling over with novel ideas.

He says: “I want to entertain and inspire people to focus on things other than hate, to explore the world of art, science and self-betterment.

“I want to inspire young and old alike to chase their dreams, and I want to put Luton on the map in a good way.”

The former Luton Sixth Form pupil who works in software test architecture has always had stories bouncing around in his head.

It took him 10 years to write his first book and he quickly realised the magical world he was creating was going to be much bigger than he’d imagined. He’s aware that his stories are similar to Harry Potter but says: “I’m aiming for a slightly darker tone and much more interaction between the magical and the mortal.

“And I’m also a huge comic book fan as readers will pick up from my writing style – I use the present tense to bring the reader even more into the moment, the here and now.”

He admits his children – Aaryan, eight, and two-year-old Sara - are his incentive: “Watching them grow and wonder at the world makes me want to create a better one for them.

“I want to paint them a picture of magical, amazing things. I want them to grow up knowing nothing is impossible and that Daddy loves them beyond anything and everything.”

He’s full of admiration and respect for his own parents. “We didn’t have much money when I was growing up in Hockwell Ring,” he explains. “We didn’t even have any carpet – I can still remember the splinters.

“But Mum and Dad worked tirelessly to ensure we were never exposed to the hardships they were going through. Mum taught me to be calm amd do good and Dad has the heart of a million angels.”

> More info at www.facebook.com/atticusmajjaisix