A Kingston University Forensic Science MSc graduate has turned to publishing after she was unable to get a job in her industry.
Prathiksha Selvaraj, 24, started her Master’s degree at KU in September 2023 after completing a Forensic Science Batchelor’s degree in South India.
It wasn’t until her last semester at KU she was informed employers would need to perform an Enhanced DBS check for her to get a job in her field, which could only happen after Selvaraj had lived in the UK for 3-5 years.
“It’s really competitive. If it had been mentioned earlier you know the whole DBS check that I have to go through before I can get a job in forensic science, it could’ve helped greatly. I found out in the final semester,” said Selvaraj.
An Enhanced DBS check is the strongest form of criminal record check in the UK that allows employers to access a person’s criminal convictions, cautions and relevant information held by the police.
The check is legally required when working with vulnerable groups and is underpinned by several act of Parliament such as the Police Act 1997, Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 and Protection of Freedoms act 2012.
Worried about her future, Selvaraj, who has always enjoyed writing, turned to familiar comforts when looking at alternative career pathways taking up a job as a bookseller.
Selvaraj continued: “I had to figure out what to do about my career because I mean, we spend a lot of time working a job in our lifetime, so I thought I would have to do something that I’m passionate about. I moved to publishing and I have been trying to get into the publishing industry, but I’ve always also liked writing. I used to write poems but not really stories but then I started writing short stories just to get a flow.”
It was one of these stories that created the basis of Selvaraj’s first independently made and self published modern contemporary novella, Across Time and Space, a short story based in Kingston following an aspiring astronaut, Luna Vikram and a talented painter, Cooper Murphy, seven years after their separation when they meet unexpectedly at a pub.
With the help of MSc Forensic Science graduate Gayathri Lakshmi Nair and MA Computer Animation graduates Megha Suresh and Sneha for marketing and designing, Selvaraj’s novella took 10 months to write and can be ordered to any Waterstones or found online at https://books2read.com/u/bMjwEB.
Selvaraj has also created a book club at Old London Road Café, starting from 6-8pm on 25 March 2026, featuring her book as the first read.
More information can be found on the Old London Road Instagram Account.