The Reluctant Manager - A book by James Budd

The Reluctant Manager

the reluctant manager

by James Budd

Edward Holdsworth only ever wanted a peaceful existence as a language teacher. Yet when a crisis forces him to become manager of a quirky language school in the little Gulf state of Khajal, his comfortable life is turned upside down. Suddenly faced with half-baked teachers, arrogant landlords, baffling local laws, and a dubious boss in London, Edward realises he’s landed in a whirlwind of chaos he never expected—or wanted.

Set mostly in the 1970s, this witty and warmly told tale follows Edward’s reluctant step into authority, where every solution seems to spark a fresh dilemma. From brushes with the police to last-minute escapes from financial ruin, Edward’s misadventures paint a colourful portrait of a rapidly changing Khajal, both then and now. In a world caught between tradition and modernisation, can a mild-mannered teacher navigate the perils of management—or are all of his worst nightmares about to come true?

Should I call this book a memoir, a novel or a collection of short stories? It has elements of all three, though I see it mainly as a memoir, despite the fact that the country (Khajal) in which the events take place is fictional. It contains a lot more fact than fiction, its characters are inspired by real people…

Excerpt from The Reluctant Manager

It was a hot, humid afternoon in October 1975. The day’s work was over. The siren had sounded and cars were streaming from offices and workshops towards Mottled Oil’s exit gate. The car park outside the Main Office was still full. It also had its daily ritual, but it was not regulated by the siren.

Excerpt from The Reluctant Manager

The hydraulic double doors opened with a discreet sigh and a hush fell upon the room. An Indian in a starched linen jacket brought in a white cloth and headed for the trestle table by the window. Another followed, pushing a trolley laden with sandwiches, samosas, cold sausage rolls, cheese straws, rock buns and little cakes topped with green and pink icing.

Excerpt from The Reluctant Manager

Hussain Abbas al Marri was the last to enter. As Personnel Affairs Supervisor, he was the top Khajali in the Company. He had been with Mottled for nearly twenty years, rising slowly from tea-boy to trainee clerk to clerk. He had halted at that position for some time, but his zeal in reporting the misdemeanours of his fellow employees came to the notice of the higher-ups and he was made a trainee Personnel Officer.

Excerpt from The Reluctant Manager

By the beginning of March 1976, as the end of his special assignment grew ever nearer, it finally dawned on Edward that unemployment might be imminent, so he called on Nicky Wood to discuss his future. Mottled had decided not to extend his contract, so Edward began to fear that he would soon find himself facing the dole queue.

Excerpt from The Reluctant Manager

“The Reluctant Manager is a succinct and engaging little novel that’s as detailed as it needs to be.”

Review for The Reluctant Manager

“This was a solid and straightforward tale that brought to mind the direct and concise narratives of Achebe and Steinbeck.”

Review for The Reluctant Manager

“I actually laughed out loud at one point, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.”

Review for The Reluctant Manager

“A novel that’s all wrapped in a wry humour reminiscent of Safran Foer’s ‘Everything Is Illuminated’.”

Review for The Reluctant Manager

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The Author

Born in Rugby, England, during the Second World War, James Budd studied Arabic at Cambridge. He taught English in government secondary schools in Saudi Arabia from 1965 to 1970. Between 1970 and 1983 he worked in Kuwait Oil Company, the Shell Company of Qatar and the Civil Aviation College in Doha.

In 1984 he moved to Muscat, where he worked for two years as a translator and English teacher at a language institute. He joined the Oman News Agency in 1992, returning to England in 1998.

Since then he has lived beside the River Stour near Manningtree on the Essex-Suffolk border.

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