Isleworth Councillor to Launch Debut Novel at Local Venue
Salman Shaheen's book Freebourne has seen positive reviews
Salman Shaheen and the cover of his new book
|
September 4, 2025
Councillor Salman Shaheen of Hounslow Council has announced the launch event for his debut novel, Freebourne, which will take place at ANIMA, a riverside bar in Brentford, on Tuesday 28 October.
The event is being organised in collaboration with Hewson Books and will include a reading, a conversation with ANIMA founder Ambika Grewal, and a book signing.
Freebourne, published by Roundfire Books, the fiction imprint of Collective Ink, has attracted early attention from reviewers and public figures. The novel, which is set in a snow-covered English town, follows the story of Dr Harry Coulson, a disgraced technology entrepreneur who becomes entangled in a murder investigation shortly after arriving in Freebourne. The narrative explores themes of science, faith, and free will, and has been described by reviewers as a philosophical thriller with a twist.
Early reviews have praised the novel’s structure and tone. One reviewer noted the book’s shift from a familiar whodunnit format to a more cerebral and unsettling exploration of technological ethics. Another described the plot as “Kafka-esque,” highlighting the protagonist’s descent into suspicion and paranoia. The setting has drawn comparisons to Midsomer Murders, while the thematic direction has been likened to Black Mirror.
Councillor Shaheen, who represents Isleworth and serves as Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Public Spaces, has a background in journalism and political advocacy. He has previously written for national and international publications and has led local campaigns on food education and heritage preservation. His work includes the Grow for the Future initiative and efforts to protect Park Road Allotments from redevelopment.
The book launch is open to the public, with limited tickets available through Hewson Books. Copies of Freebourne are also available for pre-order online.
Value Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We've always done that and won't be changing, in fact we'd like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do. We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we'd be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you'd like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site. |