Indian literature is rich with emotions and experiences, with every book telling a unique story. And the trend only continues as the years go by! Now that 2024 is upon us, it’s time to delve into the exhaustive list of soon-to-be-released novels. From Ruskin Bond to Kanan Gill, many authors are lined up to deliver intriguing works.
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Acts of God – Kanan Gill
Kanan Gill has already proved how much of a great comedian he is; now, he’s ready to wield the pen! His book, Acts of God, is a fiction work where you meet Dr. K, the absolute genius scientist. He has resigned and pretends to spend his days hungover but, in secret, is obsessively creating simulations of universes.
He probes and prods these universes, and when they don’t do what he wishes, he puts an end to them. But his interferences are thwarted in the presence of a private detective, P. Manjunath, and his assistant, Heng!
The book promises to be filled with humour, underlined with philosophical musings and creative imagination. It’s no surprise as Acts of God, releasing on 18th January, comes from the heart of one of India’s beloved comedians.
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Baal-O-Par – Gulzar
Whether it’s just a line or an entire poem, Gulzar is one of those rare poets who makes you feel. His writing – filled with creativity and poetic thought – is enchanting, which you can experience all over again in Baal-O-Par! Publishing in January this year, the book is a collection of Gulzar’s poetry and includes six volumes of poems.
It’s an all-encompassing collection that represents his journey as a poet, featuring over a hundred beautiful poems. However, the book features the poems’ newly translated version, worked on diligently by writer and critic, Rakshanda Jalil. This gift-worthy hardback is something you can’t miss out on, especially if you are a fan of Gulzar or poetry!
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The Great Flap of 1942 – Mukund Padmanabhan
Mukund Padmanabhan, the former editor of The Hindu, is debuting into the vibrant literary world with his book, The Great Flap of 1942. The book paints the picture of India in the early 1940s when a supposed full-scale Japanese invasion had India in panic. People scrambled to retreat from the coastline, seeking safety in the inland areas.
Additionally, the novel, to be published on 5th February, also speaks on a number of historical events, including the attack on Malaya, the conquest of Singapore, and the Burma bombing. All these events, including the eventual Japan’s presence in the Indian Ocean, influenced India irreversibly. And this well-researched book dives deep into that impact, promising to unfold a series of profound emotions in the readers.
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Knife – Salman Rushdie
Salman Rushdie is a name that requires no introduction, nor does the threat on his life. In 2022, Rushdie was brutally stabbed in the United States, requiring immediate hospitalization. The incident permanently affected the mobility of his one hand and the sight of one eye. And yet, until now, he never indulged in giving the world his perspective on this event. Until now, though!
Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder, being released by Penguin Random House, covers this exact traumatic experience. In this memoir, he has finally opened up about the stabbing, where he recounts what he felt back then. The book also reflects on his views on love, loss, life, and how art will always have power over violence. It is intimate and thrilling and is set to hit the bookshelves on 16th April.
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The Hill of Enchantment – Ruskin Bond
Ruskin Bond, an author every other person is familiar with, will be celebrating his 90th birthday this year. As a gift to himself – and the eager readers – he is coming up with a memoir about his adventurous life. It is packed with more unseen details about his life that the earlier memoirs missed. These include the people who inspired him, glimpses of his loved ones and the ones he has lost, among other interesting things.
More importantly, the memoir also sheds light on his successful writing career, something many aspiring writers would love to find out. This nostalgic memoir, to be published by Aleph Book Company, will be a testament to the writer’s 70-year-long career!
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Unashamed – Neha Bhat
It has been saddening to see the topics of sex and sexuality as taboo when India is where Kamasutra originated. Thankfully, Indian society is slowly but surely becoming more open to such topics, with books like Unashamed helping a lot. It is the brainchild of Neha Bhat, an Indian sex therapist who works in India and the USA.
In the book, Bhat dives into the sexual repression Indian people indulge in – and the general frowns thrown towards these topics. Through her book, she aims to give people written therapy, helping them replace that repression with expression and healing. HarperCollins India is set to release the book this year. Unashamed may not radicalize your thinking in one reading, but it will, at least, make you pause and think!
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Stories by Manto – Pinaki De, Debkumar Mitra
Saadat Hasan Manto has been a beloved of readers across the world for ages. His stories are now coming to you in the form of a graphic novel! Award-winning graphic illustrator Pinaki De joined forces with Debkumar Mitra, editor and comics curator, to put together this book. It features Manto’s stories on the Partition of India, illustrated by several established and new artists.
Published by Simon and Schuster, the book promises to paint a vibrant picture of Manto’s stories without harming the stories’ spirit. Whether you are a fan of Manto or not, this graphic novel is great for a peek into India in the 1940s.
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Maria, Just Maria – Sandhya Mary
Sandhya Mary is a media professional and writer who has been flexing her writing fingers for over a decade. Her debut novel, Maria Verum Maria, first published in 2018, was in Malayalam. The one to be released this year is its third edition, translated by Jayasree Kalathil, writer and translator. In this novel, readers meet Maria, a girl who went mute by choice after her grandfather’s death.
After being admitted to a psychiatric hospital, Maria recalls her life when it was all simple. She was just a girl in a Syrian Christian family. Some members include a grandfather who took her on his little adventures, a great-aunt with dementia, and a philosophical dog. This fiction work puts the intrinsic duality in the spotlight – natural and human, love and hate, normal and weird. The book promises to resonate with the readers, making it a remarkable read.
Final Words
Novels by Indian authors are always a delightful read, whether it’s profound fiction or revisits of historical events. The books to be released this year are captivating, contributing to the Indian literary tapestry. There is something for readers of every genre – from poetry collections to graphic novels. So, pick up the ones you like and immerse yourself in these eagerly-awaited Indian novels of 2024!
