20 exciting Indian books to look forward to in 2020

Milind Soman has had a long and interesting career from being a swimmer, a model, an actor and now an extreme athlete who stands for a lot of good causes. In this book he bares all about his life, talking about how he grew out of his bad habits and became the person he is now. He touches on the experiences that shaped him in particular, like his first marathon. The book is co-written with Roopa Pai.
Photo: Penguin

Keki N. Daruwalla has been a notable presence on the literary scene of India. He has authored several books, including twelve volumes of poetry, five collections of short stories and has been conferred with the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1984 and the Commonwealth Poetry Prize for Asia in 1987. His forthcoming ‘Memoir’ is an amalgamation of his literary life and his journey in the public service. The book pictures the state of being a writer alongside the changing face of history, governance and bureaucracy of the country.
Photo: Penguin

India’s most loved author Ruskin Bond has penned more than 500 short stories and several novellas since 1956. His first novel, 'The Room on the Roof' was drafted when he was seventeen and the book won the John Llewellyn Rhys Memorial Prize in 1957. Latest from his desk to be added to the list is ‘Happy Birthday, World’. It is a timely book about the world’s natural wonders filled with beautiful illustrations to inform and delight young readers of their precious earth.
Photo: Red Panda

The shotz series is a rapidly streamlined, riveting short thriller novel co-authored by the incredible banker and writer Ravi Subramaniam. His debut novel ‘If God Was a Banker’, won the Golden Quill Readers’ Choice Award in 2008. However, the first three books of his upcoming Shotz series - 'Insomnia', 'A Brutal Hand' and 'The Lavasa Incident' are no less. They are plot-driven and are a quick read.
Photo: Wikipedia

The fitness icon, Mandira Bedi has penned her reality in the book ‘Happy for No Reason’ and is co-authored by Satyadev Barman. Behind the six-pack fitness enthusiast is also a snotty, complaining, can’t-get-out-of-bed-today girl, who in her own way is still searching for true happiness. Mandira says that she hasn’t yet cracked it but she genuinely believes that she’s headed in the right direction. This is a must-read.
Photo: Penguin

TOI Write India author Jeet Thayil is an Indian poet, novelist, librettist and musician. From being an obscure poet, he has joined the league of distinguished Indian authors. His latest novel, ‘Low’, is a blazing joyride through the dark lands of grief towards obliteration and, perhaps, an epiphany. It is a novel of addiction and bereavement from the author of the Booker-shortlisted ‘Narcopolis’.
Photo: Faber & Faber

Written by some of India's finest legal luminaries such as Mukul Rohatgi, Justice Madan Lokur, Menaka Guruswamy, Additional Solicitor General Madhavi Divan and Saurabh Kirpal, the essays in the path-breaking anthology ‘Sexuality, Gender and the Supreme Court’ elucidate the nuances around the cases that led to landmark judgements like the reading down of Section 377, triple talaq, sexual harassment, transgender bill, Sabarimala, love jihad and khap panchayats. It's a must read for anyone interesting in how laws change and evolve in our country.
Photo:
Twitter/MenakaGuruswamy
Facebook/Justice Madan Lokur

One of India’s most celebrated designers, Manish Malhotra will be chronicling his journey in the world of fashion and Bollywood in his upcoming memoir. It will trace his forays into modelling, followed by fashion peppered with interesting trivia about his association with leading Indian actresses of the 90s. The book will be co-authored by Sonal Kalra, an award-winning Indian journalist and author.
Photo: Wikipedia

The upcoming memoirs of legendary producer-director, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra will hit the stands this year. It will be co-written by Mehra and bestselling author and marketing maven, Reeta Gupta. Reena Gupta follows a multi-person, non-linear narrative which is unique and exciting. The working title of the book is 'Interval'.
Photo: Rupa Publication

Former Indian Foreign Service officer and a Member of Parliament, Pavan K. Varma is all set to launch his latest work in April 2020. With some best stanzas translated from Tulasi’s Ramacharitmanasis, his upcoming book, ‘The Greatest Ode to Lord Rama’ is peppered with the aesthetic and philosophical beauty of some of the most evocative chaupayis.
Photo: Bandeep Singh

TOI Write India Author Namita Gokhale is an acclaimed writer, having authored eighteen works of fiction and non-fiction. Her debut novel, ‘Paro: Dreams of Passion’, published in 1984, has remained a cult classic till date. However, Gokhale's upcoming novel, ‘Jaipur Journals’, is set against the backdrop of the vibrant and multilingual Jaipur Literature Festival. The metafictional novel is an ode to literature.
Photo: Penguin

In the plethora of diet fads and fears, the voice of Rujuta Diwekar rings clearer. Rujuta is India’s leading sports science and nutrition expert and a best-selling author. Her latest published book, ‘The 12 Week Fitness Project’, is a must add to your fitness regime. In this ground-breaking book, she introduces simple weekly guidelines in 12 crucial ways pertaining to diet, exercise or lifestyle. The guidelines will exert excellent results in weight loss, better sleep and energy levels, lesser acidity, bloating and sweet cravings and reduced PMO and period pain.
Photo: Juggernaut

A multi-faceted personality, Deepti Naval has not only made major contributions as an actress in the Indian cinema but donned various caps like that of a director, writer and a painter. She has won critical acclaim for her sensitive and close to life characters emphasizing the changing roles of women in India. Her recent book, ‘A country called childhood’ is a candid memoir of her growing up in Amritsar in the 1950s and 60s before moving to Bombay to chase her dreams.
Photo: Wikipedia

The Padma Shri recipient for contribution to children’s literature, Ruskin Bond is one of the most admired chroniclers of contemporary India. There’s a reason why he is considered to be an icon among Indian writers and children's authors. He has given some most loved stories about childhood and growing up. His upcoming book, Miracle at Happy Bazaar comprises new stories like ‘The Old Suitcase’ as well as evergreen classics like ‘A Long Walk for Binya’, ‘The Blue Umbrella’, ‘Angry River’ and several others.
Photo: Penguin

Devdutt Pattanaik is a mythologist, speaker, illustrator and author. He is popular for writing on the relevance of mythology to multiple topics, all pertaining to modern-day society. His forthcoming book, ‘Pilgrim Nation: The Making of Bharatvarsh’, explores the idea of pilgrimage using various sacred sites of different religions of India.
Photo: Wikipedia

Shashi Tharoor is an acclaimed writer, having authored 18 bestselling works of fiction and non-fiction since 1981. From history & culture to films, politics and society he has penned in multiple genres. Latest to be added in the list is his forthcoming book ‘The New World Disorder and the Indian Imperative’ co-authored by Samir Saran. The book identifies the new actors and ideas that will emerge from the remnants of the old dispensation to script the architecture of the twenty-first century.
Photo: Aleph Book Company

Manoranjan Byapari is a celebrated writer of Bengali Dalit Literature. His popularity as a Bengali writer has spread across the country after he received The Hindu Prize in 2018. Byapari has penned a dozen novels and over a hundred short stories, apart from non-fiction essays. His latest book, ‘Chhera Chhera Jeebon’, portrays the other side of the civilized society that is often regarded as ugly and deformed.
Photo: Eka

Jayachandran Parameswaran Nair, also known as Unni is a short story writer and screenwriter in Malayalam literature and cinema. The themes he usually picks and pens are perhaps as old as recorded history, and they are mostly about families. His first novel, ‘The Rooster is the Culprit’ is an invaluable addition to your bookshelf. The novel is a satire on the mislaid idea of nationalism, sketching the story of a rooster who is booked for sedition for hurting the sentiments of his villagers.
Photo: Wikipedia

An award-winning author, scholar and literary chronicle, Perumal Murugan is a leading light of contemporary Tamil literature. He is the author of six novels, four collections of short stories and four anthologies of poetry. He was conferred with the prestigious ILF Samanvay Bhasha Samman in 2015. His forthcoming book ‘Estuary’ is a satire on a world where technology has overpowered common sense and education has been rotten. It explores the human condition and the pathos, helplessness, anguish, and frustration of failure, and the near-insanity to which this can drive someone.
Photo: Wikipedia

Pushpesh Pant is a noted academic, food critic and historian. He is an honourable recipient of the Padma Shri award, and one of India’s leading experts on International relations as well as Indian cuisine. In an age where a plethora of cookbooks jostle for attention, Pant’s latest book, 'Lazzat Naama' is surely going to fascinate you. With its spread of delicacies from across the country, this would be a gateway to the world of scrumptious, stimulating your taste buds.
Photo: PushpeshPant/Twitter

From the pen of masterful storyteller and bestselling author Anand Neelakantan, comes 'Baahubali: Before the Beginning'. It is the second book of Bahubali series that contains revelations of the mystery in The Rise of Sivagami. Following the story of powerful Rajmata Sivagami and Katappa in the grand era where Mahishmati is built, the second part will delve readers into a riveting tale of intrigue and power, revenge and betrayal. This series will surely grip the readers and not let go.
Photo: Facebook/itsanandneel