2024 looks promising, at least in terms of literary releases. While our favourites who have been bestselling authors and masters of their craft, like Shashi Tharoor, Devdutt Pattanaik and Ruskin Bond, will drop their new books, there are writers from down South who should be explored for their thought-provoking narrations. Our list also comprises biographies and books on culinary science and wildlife given the varied interests of a bibliophile. Check it out.

Chronicles of an Hour and a Half

by Saharu Nusaiba Kannanari

Kerala-based Saharu Nusaiba Kannanari’s debut book Chronicles of an Hour and a Half (Context) is an unsettling read and the work of fiction draws inspiration from the mob-violence culture and WhatsApp-steered attacks. In her tight-spaced and compelling novel, Saharu talks about the twin storms that the village of Vaiga in the foothills of the Western Ghats endures — a natural phenomenon and a manmade — both ravaging lives.

You

By M. Mukundan

M. Mukundan is an established name in the South and has won multiple awards including the coveted Ezhuthachan Puraskaram, the highest literary honour given by the government of Kerala. The Sahitya Akademi and JCB Prize for Literature awardee’s (2021) four books have been adapted into films and his new book You (Eka), translated by Nandakumar K, holds the reader’s attention with its probing attention to the big and small questions of life. It chronicles debut writer Unnikrishnan who announces that he will die on a specific day of a month.

Four Stars of Destiny

by General Manoj Mukund Naravane

If your list is varied then how about adding an autobiography to it? A defence personnel’s life gives an interesting insight and if you loved Sam Manekshaw’s story in Sam Bahadur then you should read Four Stars of Destiny by General Manoj Mukund Naravane. General Naravane (retd) served as the 28th Chief of the Army Staff of the Indian Army until April 2022. In a distinguished military career spanning more than four decades, he also served as the Vice Chief of Army Staff and General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Training and Eastern Commands. Even those with no background in the Services would recognise and appreciate all the things General Naravane talks about all things that make our forces unique, particularly those that deal with the planning and conduct of operations —the raison d’etre of the Army.

Where God Began

By Appadurai Muttulingam

If you want to explore more writers from the South Indian space then Appadurai Muttulingam can also be on your list. His latest read, Where God Began translated by Kavitha Muralidharan, is a blistering account of a young man in exile against the backdrop of the Sri Lankan civil war. Muttulingam’s profile is no less interesting. The Sri Lankan Tamil writer whose short stories in Tamil have won awards in both India and Sri Lanka, left his home in 1972 and spent his later years in African and Asian countries.

aising the Bar: Cases that Changed Indian Laws

by Pinky Anand

For those who have an interest in Indian law, Raising the Bar: Cases that Changed Indian Laws (Rupa Publications) by Pinky Anand, who served as an Additional Solicitor General at the Supreme Court of India, is a great book that will give a sneak into important laws that changed lives in India. From what happened in the Raj Narain vs Indira Gandhi case between 1971 and 1975, which led to the imposition of the Emergency, to the curious turn of events that led to the back and forth regarding Section 377 and the decriminalization of same-sex relationships, this book explores in detail the cases that have shaped the citizenry and the country going forward.

Lyrics by Sameer: The Stories Behind the Iconic Songs

by Sameer Anjaan and Shuja Ali

A much lighter read, Lyrics by Sameer: The Stories Behind the Iconic Songs (Rupa) by Sameer Anjaan and Shuja Ali presents a first-hand account of Sameer’s biggest blockbuster hit songs and the interesting stories behind them. And if you have a keen interest in stories from the film industry then it’s worth adding to your list. For example, did you know that Shravan of Nadeem-Shravan virtually refused to let the debuting hero of Phool Aur Kaante, Ajay Devgn, enter the recording studio as he felt he wasn’t ‘hero material’ and until Sameer intervened and convinced him that Devgn was a dark horse? Or that Aditya Chopra had rejected the immensely popular signature tune of the Dhoom title track and series, and had it not been for Sameer, the song would never have been recorded?

Lazzatnama: The Taste of the Indian Food

By Pushpesh Pant

Pushpesh Pant is an Indian academic, food critic, and historian and his upcoming book Lazzatnama: The Taste of the Indian Food (Rupa Publications) is a documentation of Indian cuisines and how our myth, legend, and lore cover references to what our ancestors ate and how our signature recipes have evolved in a thick haze. The book also features recipes that are worth whipping up in the kitchen.

Swallowing The Sun: A Novel

By Lakshmi Puri

Indian diplomat Lakshmi Puri’s debut book Swallowing The Sun: A Novel (Aleph) recreates one of the most tumultuous periods in modern Indian history — the struggle for Independence. Through the eyes of its feisty young heroine Malati, who defies the constricting patriarchal traditions of her time and take on all those who try to cow her down, Puri tells a story of love, loss, failure, and compromise.

The Hill of Enchantment: The Story of My Life as a Writer

by Ruskin Bond

For those whose childhood has been made magical and marvellous by the stories of Ruskin Bond, this book is a must-have in 2024. India’s most loved writer will turn 90 in May and to celebrate this extraordinary milestone in his life, he has written a new memoir, full of stories he has never told before about his life, his sources of inspiration, people he has loved, those he has lost, and a myriad other absorbing details about his long and successful life as a writer.

The Cobra’s Gaze: Exploring India’s Wild Heritage

by Stephen Alter

Wildlife enthusiasts and fans of Stephen Alter, it’s time to explore The Cobra’s Gaze: Exploring India’s Wild Heritage (Aleph). Alter, who is the author of more than 20 books of fiction and non-fiction, explores India’s jungles and the astonishing animals that live in them — from king cobras and snow leopards, to tigers, elephants, and dozens of others.

The ABC of Hinduism for Kids

by Devdutt Pattanaik

Bestselling author, mythologist and scholar Devdutt Pattanaik has something interesting for kids this year. Pattanaik who writes, illustrates, and lectures on the relevance of mythology in modern times, has written over 50 books and 1,000 columns on how stories, symbols, and rituals construct the subjective truth (myths) of ancient and modern cultures around the world, brings the first ever alphabet book (Aleph) based on Hindu Gods, Goddesses, ideas, and concepts for young readers.

Wonderland of Words

by Shashi Tharoor

We can’t wait for Shashi Tharoor to drop his forthcoming title Wonderland of Words (Aleph) and enrich our vocabulary. The parliamentarian and the bestselling author of 25 books takes readers on a voyage of discovery through a treasure house of astounding words. It’s time to absorb Tharoor’s consummate mastery of the English language and make an impression on others.