Indian authors who write in English have been increasingly well-known internationally as well as nationally in recent years for their insightful narratives and distinctive viewpoints.

These well-known English-language works by Indian authors cover a wide range of topics and provide a unique flavor of India’s literary excellence. These works of literature will undoubtedly make a lasting impression on your heart and intellect, regardless of your level of passion for reading.

These writers have enormous fan bases, and their books have devoted readers all around the world.

1. Death in the Deccan by Aditya Sinha

The last thing Inspector Mona Ramteke, who is in Hyderabad undergoing ACP training, wants is to be drawn into a high-profile inquiry during a deadly pandemic that is at its height nationwide. However, Mona is called upon to “crack the case as soon as possible” after it is abruptly revealed that four illustrious employees of a major media company have perished in their office cabins on the same day, at almost the same hour.

Mona gets caught up in business strife, media-generated conspiracy theories, political feuds, and information leaks, as if the mystery surrounding the killings wasn’t enough. The case starts to appear murkier than any she has ever had to solve when perplexing connections between the crimes and cricket and a temple dedicated to Ayn Rand emerge.

Before it’s too late and additional bodies start to turn up, will Mona be able to solve the complex mystery?

Author BIO
Aditya Sinha
Since February 1987, Aditya has been a journalist. He has served as the chief editor of both Daily News and Analysis (DNA) and The New Indian Express. The biographies Farooq Abdullah: Kashmir’s Prodigal Son (1996) and Death of Dreams: A Terrorist’s Tale (2000) are among his published works. Aditya Sinha is a journalist and writer.

His earlier works include The Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI and the Illusion of Peace, which he co-authored with former Inter-Services Intelligence Chief Asad Durrani and former Research and Analysis Wing Chief A.S. Dulat, and Kashmir: The Vajpayee Years. At the moment, Aditya serves as the features editor (India) for rt.com, the website of Russia Today.

2.“Serious Men” by Manu Joseph

Among the ten hidden gems of Indian authors’ English-language works, Manu Joseph’s “Serious Men” stands out. The book explores the lives of Ayyan Mani, a Dalit personal assistant who must negotiate the intricate web of social strata in the busy metropolis of Mumbai. Joseph’s story reveals the complexities of a hierarchical society in a humorous and perceptive manner.

Readers find “Serious Men” to be a hidden classic because of its sharp comments and gripping narrative. This novel stands out as a major addition to the canon of Indian writing in English because of Joseph’s skill at incorporating humor into a story that addresses important societal themes. Journalist Manu Joseph wrote the drama-fiction book Serious Men in 2010. The narrative centers on Ayyan Mani, a middle-aged Dalit who works at the Institute of Theory and Research in Mumbai as a Brahmin astronomer’s assistant. He, his wife, and their son reside in a slum.

At the Institute of Theory and Research, Ayyan Mani, one of the hundreds of dalit (untouchable caste) men confined to Mumbai’s slums, serves as the director’s humble assistant. The director is a smart, self-assured astronomer. Ayyan, who is always cunning and ambitious, spins two stories: one about his young boy and his wife who is hooked to soap operas, and the other about his knowledge of an extramarital affair between his married boss and the institute’s first female researcher. Even as the Brahmin scientists fight over the issue of extraterrestrial life, Ayyan soon discovers that his lies are becoming more and more entwined. The complexities of this complicated world are deftly dissected by Manu Joseph in his debut novel, which also chronicles the defeated director acting as guru to his former colleagues and offers funny perspectives on preaching nuns.
This is both a humorous depiction of men’s irrational egos and ambitions and a poignant description of love and its peculiar mechanisms.

Author Bio
Manu Joseph

Manu was raised in Chennai after being born in Kottayam, Kerala. Joseph Madappally, his father, is a filmmaker. At the moment, he resides in Delhi. Serious Men (2010), his first book, was the recipient of both the PEN/Open Book Award and the Hindu Literary Prize. Sudhir Mishra made a feature film adaptation of it with the same name. Decoupled, an Indian comedy web series in English that debuted on Netflix, was written and produced by Manu.

The riddle of familial ties is explored in Manu Joseph’s much anticipated new book: how can we comprehend the people we love? ‘Serious Men’ was translated into Tamil and earned the Sahaitya Academi Award, one of India’s most distinguished literary honors. He is one of the most well-liked and despised pundits in India, he is a former columnist for The New York Times.

3. “The Shadow Lines” by Amitav Ghosh

“The Shadow Lines” by Amitav Ghosh is a gripping story that deftly blurs the lines between the past and present while traveling through the cities of Kolkata and London. This book deftly examines the complex web of interpersonal relationships against the backdrop of important historical occurrences.

The poem’s central theme is the child’s excitement and delight with his own shadow. The youngster is intrigued and questions how everyone’s shadows are always shifting. He begins to notice everything about his shadow because he is impressed by it.

Ghosh skillfully blends the sociopolitical environments of India and abroad with the lives of his characters in “The Shadow Lines.” The outcome is a literary voyage that stays with the reader long after the final page is turned because it strikes a chord with both emotional depth and a sharp historical awareness. “The Shadow Lines” is a literary masterwork that transcends time and boundaries because of Ghosh’s skillful blending of the individual with the collective, the past with the present. It is the core of the poem and frequently expresses the poet’s feelings, ideas, or observations regarding a certain topic. To get the poem’s general content and tone, attentively read it.

Author Bio
Amitav Ghosh

One of the most well-known authors in India is Amitav Ghosh. Among his works are Incendiary Circumstances, The Glass Palace, Dancing in Cambodia, The Calcutta Chromosome, The Circle of Reason, The Shadow Lines, In An Antique Land, and The Hungry Tide. Sea of Poppies, his most recent book, is the first installment of the Ibis Trilogy.

In 1956, Amitav Ghosh was born in Kolkata. He attended Oxford, Alexandria, Dehra Dun, and New Delhi for his education. His first employment was at the Indian Express newspaper in New Delhi. Before he authored his debut novel, which was released in 1986, he obtained a degree from Oxford. Ghosh’s narratives offer readers deep insights into the intertwined destinies of its characters and the nations through a masterful blending of the enormous and the personal, they call home. The book turns out to be a hidden treasure, illuminating subtle emotional undertones and offering a sophisticated understanding of historical settings.

4. It Happens for A Reason by Preeti Shenoy

In addition to giving up her promising modeling career, Vipasha, who is 18 years old and unmarried, decides to deliver her baby. She ends up severing her relationship with Ankush, the man she believed she was in love with, as well as her family. After sixteen years, she now has two odd jobs: she is a gym instructor and the owner of a dog-boarding business. Aryan aspires to find her Prince Charming, which is precisely what her best friend Suchi has in store for her, and believes she is the coolest mother in the world. However, Vee harbors feelings for the eccentric veterinarian Saurabh.

Then Ankush unexpectedly reappears in their lives.

But can a lifelong partnership be built on a decision made at the age of eighteen, when one was more overcome by lust than love? Do Ankush and Vee have a future? Ankush, Vee, and Aryan are about to have the time of their lives. Full speed, no seat belts, and an extremely rough journey ahead.

The protagonist of the book is Vee, a single mother who works two jobs to support her son: she has a dog-boarding business and teaches at a gym. Beginning on the day her child is born, it jumps ahead sixteen years to the present, followed by a flashback to her time in school and college, when she first met her child’s father, Ankush, fell in love, and went on to become a model.

The people in her life are also presented to us. Aryan, her kid, is enrolled at one of the top schools. She is the most amazing mother in his eyes. They include her best friend Suchi, who is determined to find her her Prince Charming, and Jamu Kaka, who assists her in running the dog-boarding facility Paw-Factor. And Dr. Saurabh, the eccentric veterinarian who assists her with the pets. All of the lives involved are in for a wild trip when Ankush returns, sixteen years after he left the mother-son pair.

Every character felt genuine, and there was something to admire or dislike about them. Vee’s character is strong enough to have the child despite her family’s disapproval and at the expense of her profession.

Author Bio
Preeti Shenoy

One of the most well-known authors in India is Preeti Shenoy. “It Happens For A Reason,” her most recent book, marks her return. I have read all of her books, and she has a talent for holding readers’ attention throughout the story. I hoped that hadn’t changed when I picked up her most recent book. Preeti Shenoy is listed on Forbes’ longlist of India’s most influential celebrities and is one of the country’s top five best-selling writers. In India, she is the best-selling female author. Numerous languages have translated her work.

She is special since she is the only woman in the best-selling league, according to India Today. She received the Brands Academy’s 2017 “Indian of the Year” award in recognition of her literary contributions. Additionally, the New Delhi Institute of Management presented her with the Academia award for Business Excellence.

5. Ladies’ Tailor by Priya Hajela

This is the tale of Gurdev and his group of friends, who fled Pakistan after Partition and headed east. As the world burns around them, it is a story of coming together and falling apart. Will Gurdev’s latest venture, producing clothing for ladies, succeed? After his wife and kids leave him, will he find love again? Here, there is unwavering hope despite the uncertainty. As Ladies’ Tailor captivates you with all its romance, adventure, and one man’s unwavering resolve to not only survive but flourish with fresh starts, take a trip back in time and feel the spirit of the refugees.

Author Bio
Priya Hajela

Ladies’ Tailor, a book written by Priya, was released by Harper Collins India. Priya Hajela is a fiction writer who resides in Pune, Goa, and New York. She has two small but fierce dogs and an entrepreneurial husband. Her daughter is a college student in the United States, still unsure of her career path, while her son works as an investigative journalist. After twenty-two years in the corporate world and an MBA from Vanderbilt University (Owen School) in 1992, Priya earned an MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College in Vermont in 2017.

She worked for multiple telecoms majors in the US before starting her professional career. In India, she stayed on the telecom route until 2015, when she made the decision to return to school and pursue a career in writing. She has authored and published a number of short pieces, including Daughters’ Revenge in Kitaab, The Tattoo Artist in Live Encounters, An Affair in Indian Ruminations, and The Storyteller in Muse India.

6. Zeba: An Accidental Superhero by Huma S Qureshi

Meet Zeba.
An irreverent girl on the verge of becoming an improbable superhero, she is spoiled, wealthy, and content to do nothing but relax on the terrace of her luxurious apartment in New York and take long, heavy drags of her favorite cannabis.

When Zeba visits the far-off country of Khudir and learns that the holy spring Zsa Zsa is the source of her superpowers, her cozy life takes an unexpected turn. Against her better judgment, she must save the world she loves from the grasp of The Great Khan, a ruthless tyrant with the most shaitani intentions. As she gets ready for the battle of her life—a battle to save not only her family but the entire dang world—can she defeat her inner demons?

As relatable as she is unique, Zeba, a brilliant beacon of freedom, empowerment, and tenacity, is a feisty heroine with an odd cape choice, written by Huma S. Qureshi. It is a gripping story of bravery, metamorphosis, and eventually the triumph of the human spirit in the face of hardship. It is full of enchantment and written with great passion.

Author BIO
Huma S Qureshi
In the glamorous realm of Bollywood, Huma S. Qureshi is the perfect example of an outsider who has achieved success. Over the course of her ten years in the business, her name has come to represent stardom. Her journey from Delhi’s backstreets to the opulence of the Indian film business is truly remarkable. Huma has a distinctive voice that she boldly uses to establish herself. She has carefully mapped out her own career path, appearing in international films, streaming platform series, Hindi and regional (now Pan India) films, and more. Huma’s ability to fluidly move between platforms and mediums is what makes her unique. Huma started her own production company in 2022, marking the beginning of a new chapter in her life. This is her first book as an author, continuing her groundbreaking path.