Indian literature has always been developing in its literary ways by covering themes such as – cultural retrospection, perception of foreign involvement, evolution in the society, and how nothing has also changed in the society simultaneously and more. Here is a list of the 10 best books by Indian authors in 2021.
10 Best Books by Indian Authors in 2021:
An Educated Woman in Prostitution – Manada Devi
An educated Bengali woman was forced into prostitution due to her unfortunate circumstance. Society has always shunned prostitutes and neglected them for their profession – this book calls out those who are honoured, the people of the upper class in 1920s Calcutta, who maintain the posh culture but secretly fancies prostitutes.
The Sickle – Anita Agnihotri
The writer illuminates a series of interconnecting crises such as sexual assault, farmer suicide, feudal labor association, and more – concentrating on characters like Vaishali who is trying to reconstruct her life after her husband’s demise to Yashwant who got driven to activism after losing his mother.
Dead Men Tell Tales – Umadathan
Dr. Umadathan, one of the most famous forensic surgeons famously known as the Sherlock of Kerala, revisits a few of his most interesting and strangest cases – Sukumara Kurup, the mastermind behind Chacko murder, the breathtaking Polakkulam case, and the inexplicable Panoor Soman case.
Rumours of Spring – Farah Bashir
The unforgettable 1990s of Farah Bashir’s adolescence period spent in Srinagar. As fighting in the cityscape and violence among the Indian militants across the border becomes an everyday thing – a young school-going girl finds it difficult and filled with anxiety to do her everyday tasks like – walking towards the bus stop, preparing for exam, falling asleep, and more. The author writes about her secretly listening to pop music, writing their first love letter, watching a movie at the theatre for the first time amidst her growing trauma.
1232 km – Vinod Kapri
The 2020 covid-19 virus led to the nationwide lockdown leaving millions of people without homes, food, and job. Distressed and vulnerable, most people took the elongated immeasurable, often lethal journey home. Ritesh, Ram Babu, Krishna, Mukesh, Sandeep, Ashish and Sonu migrants from the Bihar state of India undertook a similar expedition on their bicycles, and that ride was sustained for seven days and seven nights. Their tormenting trip from Ghaziabad, UP, to their homeland of Saharsa as they braved police force brutality, and battled starvation, fear and fatigue were documented by renowned film-maker Vinod Kapri.
The Earthspinner – Anuradha Roy
Moving between two opposite cultures and civilizations India and England – this book reflects on the several ways in which the East stumble upon the West. The book also presents the altered ways of surviving in the modern world.
A House Full of Men – Parinda Joshi
25-year-old Kittu has left Lucknow only on two occasions – one her grandmother’s last rites – second, a wedding, but she returned home to her mother’s demise. She despises her mother because she has left her alone in a house full of men – there is no one to pay attention to her feelings, beliefs, relationship issues, ambitions, and hyper obsessions.
The Illuminated – Anindita Ghose
The writer’s first novel concentrates on two women – Shashi and Tara. Shashi realizes a spinal loss overnight after her husband’s demise – and their daughter Tara, who is involved in a passionate affair with an older man, which threatens her in unimaginable ways. This is an excellent piece of work including a provocative theme and sophisticated choice of words.
A Red-Necked Green Bird – Ambai
Writer CS Lakshmi (pseudonym Ambai) has been an important voice in Indian literature for a long time, and this is the author’s seventh collection of short stories. The pages are infused with Carnatic ragas covering several emotions- romantic, divine, parental, carnal, and platonic – these stories are shorn of sentimentality but have a profound understanding of the definition of – live, love, and die.
A Time Outside This Time – Amitava Kumar
This book captures a restless political instant along with intellect, beauty, and an eye for the strange. It is an astounding interrogation on the existence in a post-truth era and an effort to think about and dwell in a time outside this time.
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