Force for good: Inheritance of words

Published in 1981, Salman Rushdie’s ‘Midnight’s Children’ went on to win the Booker, Best of the Booker Prize and James Tait Memorial Prize. A loose allegory of events in 1947, with the protagonist born at the exact moment when India became an independent country, ‘Midnight’s Children’ became a landmark novel for its ability to weave the socio-political complexities of post-colonial India with magic realism intricately.

When ‘The Immortals of Meluha’, Amish Tripathi's first novel, was published in 2010, it started a new trend in Indian writing – the mythological novel. It was the first in the Shiva Trilogy, with ‘The Secret of the Nagas’ and ‘The Oath of the Vayuputras’ following in 2011 and 2013.

The novel, published in 1988, is set against historical events like the Swadeshi Movement, World War II, Partition and communal riots of 1963-64 in Dhaka and Calcutta. The futility of borderlines is presented through these events.

Published in 1986, The Golden Gate made Vikram Seth a literary household name in India and the US. The novel, written in verse composed of 590 Onegin stanzas, was inspired by Charles Johnston’s translation of Pushkin’s ‘Eugene Onegin’. Seven years later, Seth came up with another blockbuster novel – A Suitable Boy – spanning 1,488 pages (paperback), making it one of the longest novels published in a single volume.

Her mother, Anita Desai, was a trailblazer, with novels like the iconic ‘Clear Light of Day’. When Kiran Desai went up to receive the Man Booker Prize in 2007 for ‘The Inheritance of Loss,’ she was – at 35 -- the youngest female author to be awarded this prize, creating literary history. Set in the mid-90s, the book was hailed by critics as a keen, richly descriptive analysis of globalisation, terrorism and immigration.

“The Great Stories are the ones you have heard and want to hear again. The ones you can enter anywhere and inhabit comfortably. That is their mystery and their magic,” wrote Arundhati Roy in her debut novel, ‘The God of Small Things’, which bagged the Booker Prize in 1997. Then Harper Collins’ editor Pankaj Mishra sent the draft of the novel to British publishers and Roy received a £500,000 advance. Rights to the book were sold in 21 countries.

Published in 2008, ‘The White Tiger’ marked Aravind Adiga's powerful debut in the literary world, earning him the Man Booker Prize. The novel, a darkly humorous tale of social and economic disparities in modern India, explores the life of Balram Halwai, a driver who rises from poverty to become an entrepreneur. Adiga’s sharp critique of India's class system resonated with readers globally, cementing his status as a significant voice in contemporary Indian literature.

Released in 2008, ‘The Palace of Illusions’ reimagines the ancient Indian epic Mahabharata from the perspective of Draupadi, the wife of the Pandavas. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s novel brings to light the inner thoughts, struggles, and strength of a woman often overshadowed by the male heroes of the story. The novel was lauded for its lyrical prose and feminist reinterpretation of a classic, making Divakaruni a key figure in Indian literary circles.

Published in 2003, Jhumpa Lahiri’s ‘The Namesake’ is a poignant exploration of the immigrant experience, identity, and the clash of cultures. The novel follows Gogol Ganguli, the American-born son of Bengali immigrants, as he navigates the complexities of his dual heritage. Lahiri’s elegant prose and deep understanding of human emotions earned her widespread acclaim, and the book was adapted into a successful film in 2006, further solidifying her place in Indian literature.

Published in 1958, ‘The Guide’ is one of R.K. Narayan’s most famous works. The novel tells the story of Raju, a tour guide who becomes a spiritual guide and later a revered holy man, exploring themes of transformation, redemption, and the clash between tradition and modernity in India. Narayan’s simple yet profound storytelling and his ability to capture the essence of Indian life have made him a beloved figure in Indian literature.