Hamel Patel was born on 3rd October 1980 at Royal Free Hospital, Hampstead, London. A congenital heart condition known as Transposition Of The Great Arteries meant that at the age of one year, he underwent an Arterial Switch Operation, which has ensured a healthy life ever since.
He attended Moss Hall Primary School, and Christ’s College Finchley for his secondary education. Hamel wanted to be a writer from a very young age, but instead moved into a career in medicine. After graduating from Royal Free and University College London Medical School, complete with a supplementary intercalated BSc in psychology, he has been working as a general practice doctor since 2010.
He has travelled widely throughout the world, having visited more than 50 countries across six continents. He has an eclectic range of interests including sport, music, movies, literature, and gardening. Above all else, his most important role is being a father to his two incredible daughters, Gauri and Kāshi. They provide joy, inspiration and motivation in equal measure.
His ancestry is from Gujarat, India. This cultural heritage has been the major influence in his philosophical beliefs and spirituality. This is filtering down into his work, as he now finally embarks on his lifelong dream of becoming an author. His first book is a fantasy action novel set on the fictional planet of Kāshi. It is a story of dharma, love and Self discovery in a brand new ‘Hamlok’ series. The aim is to offer repackaged ancient wisdom in a fresh and engrossing way, with the hope that it may also be of use in navigating the modern world.
The catalyst for change came during a GMC investigation in 2017 following an isolated complaint from an unhappy patient. Despite being fully exonerated and retaining an unblemished licence to practise medicine, the experience left a deep scar. Some of the glow of serving as a doctor was wearing off, from what was otherwise relatively rewarding work. It was clear that he now needed to actively pursue his dream.
Accepting that a wholesale career change was not a viable option at that stage in life, Hamel started out writing almost as a hobby. This was a defensive strategy, adopted with the intention of safeguarding himself against the pain of failure. Then one day, he had a ‘J.K.Rowling moment.’ He discarded the defeatist attitude, and changed his mindset. From then on he was writing with the target set at nothing short of global success. Through hard work, late nights, support from loved ones, and inspiration from all around, the first book is slowly slowly starting to take shape.