From the States:
Andhra Pradesh
1. Swarajyam by Mahidhara Ramamohana Rao translated by Vegunta Mohan Prasad (2011) revolves around the idealism of youths who are charged up following Mahatma Gandhi's call for a free India in 1921. Their idealism eventually crashes against inequalities of class and caste in society.
2. From My Front Porch: An Anthology of Telugu Stories
by Malathi Nidadavolu (2009) on socio-cultural aspects of life in Andhra, the switch from rural to urban landscapes, and home.
3. The Liberation of Sita by Volga translated by T. Vijay Kumar and C. Vijayasree (2018). Five interconnected stories set within the Ramayana with a feminist eye.
Arunachal Pradesh
4. Silent Lips and Murmuring Hearts by Yeshe Dorjee Thongchi, translated by Debarshi Prasad (2010) is a tragic love story set against the backdrop of the state going through a transition.
5. The Legends of Pensam by Mamang Dai (2006) is evocative array of anecdotes and incidents strung together by tales of the unknown, shamans, of being cut off from the outside world.
Assam
6. The Hour before Dawn by Bhabendra Nath Saikia, translated by Maitreyee S. C. (2009) looks at the lives of women born out of many negotiations and the strength they must find to survive many dawns.
7. The Moth Eaten Howdah of a Tusker by Indira Goswami and translated by the author (2004) holds the mirror to the lows that the higher caste will fall to.
8. Mariam Austin Othoba Hira Barua (2014) by Arupa Patangia Kalita translated by Ranjita Biswas (The Loneliness of Hira Barua, 2020). 13 short stories looking at how conflict and sudden social and cultural changes breaks families and societies.
Bihar
9. Phoolsunghi by Pandey Kapil (1977) is the first Bhojpuri novel to be translated into English (Gautam Choubey, 2020). Set in Muzaffarpur, it narrates the tale of an unfulfilled love between Mahendra Mishra, one of the most popular yet enigmatic Bhojpuri poets, and the tawaif Dhelabai.
10. Amawas Mein Khwab by Hussain-ul-Haque (2017) translated from the Urdu by Syed Sarwar Hussain (Dreams in Moonless Nights) follows the aftermath of Indian Independence through a protagonist who keeps faith in love and brotherhood despite his personal loss.
11. Bihar is in the Eye of the Beholder by Vijay Nambisan (2001)
is a darkly funny account of the 16 months that the poet spent in a small town in Bihar.
Chhattisgarh
12. Charandas Chor by Habib Tanvir (1975), translated by Anjum Katyal (1996) has a cult status in theatre and on screen as well. What could be more powerful than the tale of a thief with principles?
13. Naukar Ki Kameez by Vinod Kumar Shukla (1979), translated by Satti Khanna (2017) about a low level clerk in a small town government office. Our protagonist, expected to run errands for officials along with his official duty finds ways to resist.
Goa
14. Acchev (1977) by Naik Pundalik Narayan is the first Konkani novel to be translated into English by Vidya Pai (The Upheaval, 2002). Based in a Goa wrecked by rampant mining, it looks at a traditional society living by myths and rituals comes into contact with modern mechanised ways of life.
15. Goa: A Daughter's Story (2005) by Maria Aurora Couto spans about 450 years of Goa's history. Through her own family history, the author looks at the past and present.
16. Teresa's Man and Other Stories from Goa by Damodar Mauzo, translated by Xavier Cota (2014) from Konkani, are set across time and are about regular people in Goa and otherwise.
Gujarat
17. Saat Pagala Akashma by Kundanika Kapadia (1984) is the first feminist Gujarati novel translated into English by Kunjbala and William Anthony (Seven Steps in the Sky, 2004)
18. Dhiruben Patel’s Agantuk (1996) translated by Raj Supe
Rainbow at Noon (2013) looks at the themes of self realization and renunciation.
19. Krishna Sobti’s Gujarat Pakistan Se Gujarat Hindustan (2017), translated by Daisy Rockwell (A Gujarat Here, a Gujarat There, 2019), is part novel, part memoir, part feminist anthem.
Haryana
20. Come, Before Evening Falls by Manjul Bajaj (2009). Set in a village named after a stud bull, this book depicts rural Indian life under the weight of social dictates.
21. The Anger of Saintly Men by Anubha Yadav (2021) explores the tragedy of the lives of boys as they strive to become men in toxic environments.
Himachal Pradesh
22. Lal Teen Ki Chhat (1997) by Nirmal Verma, translated by Kuldip Singh (The Red Tin Roof 2013) evokes the interplay of seasons, nature and people, while narrates the story of a young girl growing into adolescence.
23. The Blue Umbrella By Ruskin Bond (1980) is a short and humorous novella set in the hills of Garhwal (now in Uttarakhand) addressing envy and greed.
Jharkhand
24. The Adivasi Will Not Dance: 10 stories by Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar (2015), around the politics of oppression faced by Adivasis who must continue to be performative.
25. Bitter Soil by Mahasweta Devi, translated by Ipsita Chanda (1998) has four stories set in the Palamau District of Jharkhand, a region inhabited by Adivasis where the author had travelled extensively.
26. Lords of the Global Village by Ranendra translated from the Hindi by Rajesh Kumar (2017) brings alive the plight of tribal communities today, their existence threatened by a nexus of corporate rapacity and the hunger for development.
Karnataka
27. The Bride In the Rainy Mountains (Malegalalli Madumagalu)
by Kuvempu (1967), translated by K.M. Srinivasa Gowda, G.K. Srikanta Murthy (2020). From Kannada's first Jnanpith award winner, a story on the feudal system in the late 19th Century.
28. Samskara: A Rite for a Dead Man by U.R. Ananthamurthy (1965), translated by A.K. Ramanujan (1979), is about the decay of morality under the weight of religious order.
29. An Afternoon With Shakuntala and Other Stories
by Vaidehi, translated by Sukanya Kanarally (2016). Stories that raise a powerful questions in relation to man-woman relationship, asymmetrical sexuality and woman as a speaking subject.
Kerala
30. Kaalam by MT Vasudevan Nair (1969) translated by Gita Krishnankutty (Time, 1998). Set during the early 1960s against the backdrop of land reforms in Kerala.
31. Chemmeen by Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai (1956) has been translated into English many times, notably by Narayana Menon (Anger of the Sea-Goddess) and author Anita Nair. Set in a fishing community, it is centered on greed as opposed to aspirations and the lonely isolation of women.
32. Ente Kadha (My Story), a most controversial book written by Kamala Surayya (Madhavikutty) nee Kamala Das in the year 1973. Though My Story was supposed to be an autobiography, Das later admitted that there were elements of fiction in it.
Special Mention
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy (1997) is a story about the childhood experiences of fraternal twins whose lives are destroyed by the "Love Laws" prevalent in 1960s Kerala. It won the Booker Prize in 1997.
Madhya Pradesh
33. Baramasi by Gyan Chaturvedi (1999), translated by Salim Yusufji (Alipura, 2021), is a portrait of a family, an era and a region – Bundelkhand.
34. The Wise Woman and Other Stories: The Best of Mannu Bhandari translated by Vidya Pradhan (2021). The stories depict the inner lives of middle-class working and educated women.
35. A Breath of Fresh Air by Amulya Malladi (2003) is an insight into Bhopal’s culture and psychology even as it captures the horror of the Bhopal Gas tragedy.
Maharashtra
36. Baluta by Daya Pawar (1978), translated by Jerry Pinto (2015), set in rural Maharashtra of the 1940s and ’50s, is the first Dalit autobiography to be published.
37. Cobalt Blue by Sachin Kundalkar (2006), translated by Jerry Pinto (2013), is the story of a brother and sister who fall in love with the same man, and how a traditional Marathi family is shattered by the ensuing events.
38. Milk Teeth by Amrita Mahale (2018) is set in the jostle and hubris of Bombay in the '90s.
Special Mention
Such a Long Journey and Family Matters by Rohinton Mistry
Manipur
39. The Oxford Anthology of Writings from North-East India - Vol. 1, Fiction (2010) Edited by Tilottoma Misra celebrates the richness and diversity of culture as evinced in writings from Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura.
40. Waiting for the Dust to Settle by Veio Pou (2020) set in Senapati in Manipur during the 1980s and 90s when intensive militarization tore apart the lives of people in remote villages.
41. Crafting the Word: Writings from Manipur: Edited by Thingnam Anjulika Samom(2019). Stories translated from Manipuri ranging over a time period of about 50-60 years in the voices of women.
Meghalaya
42. Lunatic in my Head by Anjum Hasan (2007), a tale of social turmoil and turmoil within the characters set in Shillong of the 1990s.
43. Boats on Land by Janice Pariat (2012) is a collection of short stories set in and around Shillong, Cherrapunjee and pockets of Assam, shaped against a larger historical canvas of the early days of the British Raj, the World Wars, conversions to Christianity, and the missionaries.
44. Funeral Nights by Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih (2021) takes readers into the world of the Khasis through a deep dive into the socio political history and journey as a community.
Mizoram
45. Zorami - A Redemption Song by Malsawmi Jacob (2015) is the first novel ever written by a Mizo writer in English.
46. When Blackbirds Fly by Hannah Lalhlanpuii (2022), set against the backdrop of the 1966 bombing of Aizawl, touches on how individual dreams and lives are shattered when larger conflicts arise.
Special mention
The Blaft Book of Mizo Myths by Cherrie Lalnunziri Chhangte
(2016)
Nagaland
47. These Hills Called Home: Stories from a War Zone by Temsula Ao (2005) about ordinary people coping with violence, how they negotiate power and force, how they seek and find safe spaces and enjoyment in the midst of terror.
48. Sky is My Father: A Naga Village Remembered by Easterine Kire (2018) is about the legendary battle between the British forces and the little warrior village of Khonoma in the 19th century.
Odisha
49. Chasing the Rainbow: Growing Up in an Indian Village by Manoj Das (2010) is a collection of stories recounting the author’s childhood experiences in the quiet world of Sankhari by the sea.
50. Colours of Loneliness and Other Stories by Paramita Satpathy, translated from by Snehaprava Das (2019).
Punjab
51. Pinjar: The Skeleton and Other Stories by Amrita Pritam, translated by Khushwant Singh (2009), brings two of the most moving novels by one of India's greatest women writers.
52. Ek Chadar Maili Si by Rajinder Singh Bedi (1965),
translated by Khushwant Singh (I Take This Woman, 2010). Considered a classic, it addresses the domestic and social oppression of women.
53. Tamas by Bhisham Sahni (1974), translated by Daisy Rockwell (2016), is on the horrors of senseless communal politics.
Rajasthan
54. Chouboli and Other Stories by Vijaydan Detha (2011)
combines the local Rajasthani storytelling idioms with the modern short story.
55. Daura by Anukrti Upadhyay (2019) is about a young District Collector. The narrative is filled with the songs and myths of Rajasthan.
Sikkim
56. Land Where I Flee by Prajwal Parajuly (2013) centers around a Nepali-Indian family in Sikkim dealing with identity.
57. The King's Harvest by Chetan Raj Shrestha (2013) brings two novellas, one contemporary and the other, steeped in a myth
Tamil Nadu
58. Vaadivaasal by C.S. Chellappa (1959) translated by N. Kalyan Raman (Arena, 2013), is a modern literary classic describing the events of an afternoon in Periyapatti, where a jallikattu-contest involving the traditional sport of bull taming, is under way.
59. Karukku by Bama (1992), translated by Lakshmi Holmström (2000) is the first autobiography by a Dalit woman writer.
60. Women Dreaming by Salma (2016) translated by Meena Kandasamy, (2020) shines with the dreams of women in a cloistered space.
Telangana
61. Father May Be an Elephant and Mother Only a Small Basket, But… by Gogu Shyamala (2012). translated by Diia Rajan, dissolves the borders of realism, allegory and political fable, looking at the epicenter of the Telangana movement.
62. How are You Veg? Dalit Stories from Telugu by Joopaka Subhadra and translated by Alladi Uma and M Sridhar (2021) looks at the lives of the Madiga women.
Tripura
No novels translated into English from the Kokborok so far.
Uttar Pradesh
63. Mera Parivar (1972) by Mahadevi Varma translated by Ruth Vanita (My Family, 2021) is a small glimpse of a feminist literary legacy with a powerful indictment of human cruelty.
64. Jhootha Sach published in two volumes 1958 and 1960 by Yashpal, arguably the most outstanding piece of Hindi literature written about the Partiton. Translated by Anand (This is Not That Dawn, 2010).
65. Raag Darbari by Srilal Sukla (1968), translated by Gillian Wright (2012), is a satire looking at the failing values of post-Independent Indian society.
Uttarakhand
66. Malushahi: The Ballad of Kumaon, translated by Mohan Upreti (1980), brings forth a central piece of Kumaoni oral tradition.
67. The Perplexity of Hariya Hercules by Manohar Shyam Joshi (1999) translated by Robert Hueckstedt (2010) is absurdist fiction at its best.
West Bengal
68. Chowringhee by Sankar (1962), translated by Arunava Sinha (2007) is the first major success of translated literary fiction in India. A sprawling saga of the intimate lives of the staff of a fictional hotel, it brings alive the Calcutta of the 1950s
69. Mother of 1084 by Mahasweta Devi (1974) translated by Samik Bandhyopadhay (2014). Set in the fiery Naxal movement in Bengal, it captures the trauma of a mother waking to the news that her son is a mere in a morgue.
70. Interrogating My Chandal Life: An Autobiography of a Dalit by Manoranjan Byapari (2012) translated by Sipra Mukherjee (2017) is about a life journey of violence and hunger, from refugee to juvenile to being jailed for being a Naxalite and learning to read then writing.
From the Union Territories
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
71. Latitudes of Longing by Shubhangi Swarup (2018) set partly in the Andamans, follows the interconnected lives of characters searching for true intimacy.
Chandigarh
72. In The Land of The Lovers by Sakoon Singh (2020) set in a quaint Chandigarh neighbourhood, it looks at the past and the dark belly of contemporary Punjab.
Dadra and Nagar Haveli
None
Daman and Diu
None
Delhi
73. Clear Light of Day (1980) by Anita Desai is a family saga that deals with the transformation of Old Delhi starts being overtaken by the modern and more fashionable.
74. The House Next to the Factory (2021) by Sonal Kohli has
nine interlinked stories about a post-Partition immigrant family, their servants, tutors, cousins and lovers, their loneliness, aspirations and small-scale ambitions.
Special mention
M. Mukundan's Delhi: A soliloquy translated from Delhi Gadhakal (2011) by Fathima E.V. and Nandakumar K. (2020), this is a personal, social and political history of the city through the experiences of the migrant Malayalis.
Jammu & Kashmir
75. Hashiye Par by Shailender Singh, the first Dogri novel translated into English by Suman K. Sharma (For a Tree to Grow, 2014) takes a close look at the lives of the very poor in the Chenab valley.
76. Three Satires: From Ancient Kashmir by Kṣemendra, a scholar from Kashmir in the eleventh century and translated by A.N.D. Haksar (2011) from the Urdu addresses the avarice and hypocrisy of the powerful.
77. Gul Gulshan Gulfam by Pran Kishore was a cult TV serial before it became a book, translated by Shafi Shauq (2017). On Kashmir in the 90’s and the lives of people on the houseboats on the Dal lake as conflict unfolds.
Special Mention
Rumours of Spring: A Girlhood in Kashmir by Farah Bashir (2021) about growing up in the midst of militarization and violence.
Lakshadweep
None
Puducherry
78. Beyond the Sky by Prapanchan (1993), translated from the Tamil by P. Balasubramaniam (2010), brings history and fiction in writing about the founding, consolidation and collapse of the French colonial rule in India.
Note to readers: There can be no definitive list of books that defines India or even comes close to the task. This is partly because there is a vast language landscape - there is more attention to writings across the country in English, including translations from the many languages. So, some caveats:
- A majority of Indian literary fiction is yet to be translated into English.
- There has been relatively more attention paid to certain languages when it comes to English translations (Tamil, Bengali, Malayalam, Marathi followed by Assamese, Kannada) than others (Telugu, Punjabi, Gujarati, Odiya, Manipuri, Kokborok, Maithili, Dongri, etc.).
- More books by male authors are available in translation than writings by women.
*Listicles in this series are comprehensive, not exhaustive
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