15 Brilliant Books By South Asian Authors

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·9 min read
As an author of Sri Lankan origin, growing up, I rarely found books by South Asian authors or featuring South Asian protagonists. I'd scour the shelves of the local library as a preteen in search of stories that reflected my experiences and would be delighted whenever I discovered one. These were few and far between, and often the characters were stereotyped or limited to a few genres. What I really wanted was to discover books by and about people like me, in stories that spanned genres and reflected the diverse nature of the world today.As an author, it’s something I try to do in my writing. In my debut psychological thriller Deadly Cure, of the two medical school besties/mortal frenemies whose major falling-out drives the novel, protagonist Rea is of Sri Lankan origin. The other characters in the story reflect the diversity of the hospital workforce today.   And in the wider world of books, representation is slowly improving. Below you'll find some brilliant books by South Asian authors that span a range of genres and experiences, from hard-hitting topics such as gender-based violence and partition-era politics, to culture clash romantic drama and nonfiction.

1.A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth

What it’s about: An epic family story set in the politically charged post-partition era of 1950s India. Protagonist Lata's mother is determined to find her a suitable Hindu husband, but Lata develops ideas of her own when she meets an attractive Muslim boy. Moving through Lata's story and those of her extended family and friends, A Suitable Boy is evocative, compelling, and full of fascinating, intricately drawn characters. There’s also a BBC TV adaption on Netflix right now. Get it from Bookshop or through your local indie through Indiebound here.

2.Untold: Defining Moments of the Uprooted edited by Gabrielle Deonath, Kamini Ramdeen

What it’s about: This anthology of 32 stories by women from the US, UK, and Canada tackles topics ranging from immigration and colorism to infertility, mental health, and much more, and considers how the added issue of living between different cultures impacts on their experiences. It's a candid, moving collection of  personal stories which many will find relatable. Get it from Bookshop or through your local indie through Indiebound here.

3.No Honour by Awais Khan

What it’s about: From the unflinching prologue, which shows with devastating effect what happens to girls who do not abide by the rules of the small Pakistani village setting, No Honour doesn't hold back in its exploration of gender-based violence. Protagonist Abida is having a secret relationship with a boy from the village. When she is discovered and sentenced to the same fate as her predecessors — public death — her devoted father Jamil must decide whether to put his own life on the line to save her. Inspired by a real-life story of

4.Bone China by Roma Tearne

What it’s about: This family saga follows the de Silva family through a series of upheavals that take them across Sri Lanka and finally to England. When father Aloysius' drinking and gambling leads to the loss of their mansion in the lush tea plantations, the family move to the dusty heat of Colombo. Here, in the aftermath of independence, civil unrest is brewing and the de Silvas are uprooted again, this time to England where they are homesick and all affected in different ways by the transition. This moving story explores displacement, memory, and belonging. Evocative, lyrical, drily funny, and compelling.Get it from Bookshop or through your local indie through Indiebound here.

5.Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurian

What it’s about: Set at a Washington University where, unknown to the other students, seven diagnosed psychopaths are enrolled in a clinical psychopathy study run by the Psychology Department, in exchange for full scholarships. What could go wrong? Told in multiple points of view, Never Saw Me Coming centers on anti-heroine Chloe who starts the story with an agenda of her own to murder a fellow student. Complications ensue when someone seemingly starts hunting the psychopaths down. A darkly funny, entertaining debut thriller. Get it from Bookshop or through your local indie through Indiebound here.

6.Sari, Not Sari by Sonya Singh

Release date: April 5 What it’s about: Manny is the successful CEO of a company that helps people navigate relationship breakups. Then a magazine cover, photoshopped to make her complexion appear lighter, leads to a breakup of her own and has her questioning what it really means to be Indian. Manny knows little about her heritage, so when client Sammy contacts her company with an odd breakup request, an arrangement is made: She'll accompany him to his brother’s wedding, and he’ll give her a crash course in

7.The Waiter by Ajay Chowdhury

What it’s about: Indian police inspector Kamil goes into hiding as a waiter in London's Brick Lane after a high profile case he was working in Kolkata went disastrously wrong. But he can't stay undercover for long, as a murder takes place in his new neighborhood, and connections emerge with the case back in India. Moving between present-day London and flashbacks to the case in Kolkata, with vibrant settings and witty dialogue between Kamil and his partner in crime Anjoli, this is a refreshingly different crime novel. And there's a sequel, The Cook, due later this year.Get it from Amazon.

8.Kololo Hill by Neema Shah

What it’s about: An account of the expulsion of thousands of South Asians from Uganda in the 1970s, the narrative follows a family given 90 days to leave the country with no money and no more belongings than they can carry, and the stories they cannot leave behind. Showcasing the experience of thousands of exiled South Asians seeking refuge in the UK and elsewhere, Kololo Hill is a heart-wrenching debut that asks what home and belonging really mean. Get it from Amazon.

9.The Circus Train by Amita Parikh

Release date: Fall 2022 What it’s about: Lena Papadopoulos, daughter of a celebrated illusionist, lives within the magical Circus of Wonders but longs for the real world of science and medicine. Wheelchair-bound following childhood polio, she longs to break free of the restrictions of her mobility and her loving but over-protective father.  When World War II escalates, Lena's father and her best friend are contracted to perform in a model town for Jews set up by the Nazis. Separated from her loved ones, Lena is forced to rely on herself to survive. If, like me, you loved The Night Circus, this is for you. A magical, sweeping, and evocative debut. Preorder here.

10.Rebel of Fire and Flight by Aneesa Marufu

Release date: March 3, 2022 What it's about: This fantasy adventure starts with Muslim protagonist Khadija, who is desperate to escape a marriage arranged by her father. She sees her chance when she spots a rogue hot air balloon struggling to get off the ground.  In it, she meets Jacob, a glassmaker’s apprentice, an unlikely ally. But Jacob is a  hāri, one of the stateless people, a dangerous companion for Khadija, in a society rife with racism and plagued by a dark-magic-wielding terrorist group. And even more so when a deadly revolution threatens their friendship and their world.  Perfect for fans of Noughts & Crosses.Preorder here.

11.Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara

What it's about: 9-year-old Jai decides to investigate the disappearance of a young local boy using amateur sleuthing skills picked up from his favorite TV police show. Aided by his friends, Jai ventures into increasingly dangerous areas of their fictional Indian city. As more children disappear, the trio contend with corrupt police and rumors of soul-snatching mythological creatures, in order to discover what happened to them. A heart-wrenching story about slum-dwelling children, told by an endearing young narrator. Get it from Bookshop or through your local indie through Indiebound here.

12.(M)otherhood: On the choices of being a woman by Dr. Pragya Agarwal

What it's about: A blend of memoir and meticulous research, behavioral scientist Pragya Agarwal examines motherhood from many different perspectives, including her own experience as a woman of South Asian heritage living in Britain. Raw and honest, (M)otherhood is a thought-provoking exploration of reproductive choices and society's obsession with women’s bodies. Get it from Amazon.

13.Exit West by Mohsin Hamid

What it's about: Saeed and Nadia, residents of an unnamed war-torn city, start a relationship as everything around them descends into chaos. When they hear rumours of mysterious doors appearing around the city, through which people emerge into entirely different countries, they secure their escape through one such door, entering a refugee camp in Mykonos and later a dystopian London.   Infused with magical realism, Exit West examines the reality of displacement and its impact on relationships. Soon to be a Netflix movie produced by the Obamas. Get it from Bookshop or through your local indie through Indiebound here.

14.A Rising Man by Abir Mukherjee

What it's about: In this first book of a historical crime series set in 1920s colonial India, British captain Sam Wyndham and native Sergeant Banerjee investigate the murder of a senior officer in the British Raj. With a vividly drawn Calcutta setting and constantly simmering racial/political tensions, A Rising Man is drily funny and compelling, and if you like this, there are four more in the series to discover. Get it from Bookshop or through your local indie through Indiebound here.

15.A Passage North by Anuk Arudpragasam

What it's about: Protagonist Krishan undertakes a long train journey from Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo, to the war-torn North, for the funeral of his grandmother's caretaker Rani. As the train moves through the country, the novel stays largely with Krishan's thoughts, about three women important in his life, his grandmother, Rani, and Anjum, an activist he fell in love with. Beautifully written and unflinching in confronting aspects of the Sri Lankan civil war, A Passage North was shortlisted for the 2021 Booker Prize. Get it from Bookshop or through your local indie through Indiebound here.