Robert Holtom: 'History has so much to teach us about finding liberation'
BY Maya Fernandes
10th Jun 2025
Robert Holtom was a student on our London Writing Your Novel – Three Months course in 2015. We caught up to discuss their debut novel, A Queer Case – out now from Titan Books.
Read on to discover the inspiration behind Robert's debut, their love of Golden Age crime novels and top tips for budding crime writers.
Robert, you were a student on our London Writing Your Novel – Three Months course in 2015. How did studying with us shape the way you approach your writing now?
Back then I was three years into my first novel and still unsure of exactly where it was going. I’d never studied novel-writing as a craft. During the course I was asked important questions about the text – the biggest was whether or not it was middle grade – which helped me find direction and finish my first draft. Now, writing a novel is a far simpler task because I know what I’m doing and I can plan where I’m going.
A lot of our students end up finding their writing community on our courses – are you still in touch with any of your course mates?
Absolutely. We’ve stayed in touch ever since and often read one another’s works. Pre-pandemic we even managed some mini retreats in Sheepwash, Devon and a number of Secret Santas. During the lockdowns, meeting on Zoom was a much-needed tonic. Over the years a fair few of us have had novels published (some have had multiple!), there’s been a film adaptation and I’ve had some plays staged – book launches, premieres and opening nights have provided some great opportunities to meet up and celebrate one another’s works.
A Queer Case is set against the backdrop of 1920s London. What drew you to this time period and how did it influence the dynamics of the novel?
I love Golden Age crime novels and have often written short stories set in this time period, including some Hercule Poirot fanfic. Selby Bigge, my amateur sleuth, has existed for some time but it wasn’t until I read Queer London by Matt Houlbrook that I finally found a home for him. Matt’s book opened up the queer history of interwar London, allowing me to imagine Selby’s world. I saw so many parallels with our own time in terms of identity politics and the rise of fascism. The history has so much to teach us about resisting tyranny and finding liberation.
The detective genre thrives on red herrings and well-timed twists. What advice would you give to emerging writers on planting clues and building tension in a satisfying way?
I plot the murder first with the characters integral to that – victim and killer – and work through what clues I need and what order they need to be written. I then create a cast of red herrings and flesh out their stories and clues. I combine these two narratives – in a colour-coded plan (!) – and start writing the chapters. The detective is the conduit through which we discover all this, so their journey sets the pace of the novel. The big thing I always keep in mind is that for a first-time reader the order the information is on the page is the order in which it goes into their head. That information needs to be structured in an accessible fashion, so that the story reads smoothly and the reader only gets lost on the garden paths I’m leading them up. Also, if a clue is important, I’ll bring it up a few times to make sure it’s remembered.
Selby Bigge is such a great lead character – smart, acerbic and a bit unconventional. How did you approach creating his character, and what was it about Selby that made him the perfect protagonist to lead the series?
I created Selby Bigge in 2009. Back then he was a small part in a Poirot short story and his surname was spelt Big. He’s been on a long journey since and his growing character reflects my growing ability to confidently portray queerness on the page. I wrote an early Selby novel in the summer of 2020 in which he was engaged to a woman and very much in hiding. This is a valid portrayal of a queer man in the 1920s but also quite familiar. So I pushed myself harder to imagine a more liberated Selby – one who was happily dating men, unashamed of his attractions and not wracked by inner demons. Instead, Selby’s challenges are external – the prejudices of his society and the awful fact his love/romance/sex were illegal. It was liberating to liberate Selby and it’s a joy to lean into queer joy alongside challenge, struggle and pain. After all, diamonds are made under pressure and I’m doing my best to ensure Selby’s a gem.
Are there any mystery novels on your ‘to be read’ list that you’re excited about?
I’m very excited for Janice Hallett’s next one – The Killer Question. I love her books and the style in which they’re written – typically through emails and WhatsApp messages. Also on the pile are The City & The City by China Miéville and Murder at the Matinee by Jamie West. I loved Death on the Pier, which also introduces a queer 1930s detective.
If you could step into the shoes of any fictional character from a crime novel, who would you choose and why?
Jane Wilkinson from Lord Edgware Dies – she loves the drama and she’s a bit of an icon. Or perhaps Mr Harley Quin as he’s somewhat otherworldly and mysterious. He might also have superpowers.
And finally, what’s next for your writing journey?
Book 2! I’m very fortunate that it’s a two-book deal, with publication set for next June. This one will see Selby head to Lady Malcolm’s Servants’ Ball at the Royal Albert Hall and investigate another murder. I’ve also been working on a new play – The Lies & Fall of Bertie Gunn – which is set in 1921, and is my theatrical attempt at a Golden Age mystery comedy. I’ve been working with the fantastic director, Ollie Norton-Smith, and we hosted a reading in February. We’re now looking for a producer to work with.
Get your hands on a copy of A Queer Case.
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