Crème de la crème

From writers of Indian mythology to inspirational poets, India is home to some of the best literary masterminds of all time, boasting of cultural significance, and creativity. In celebration of India Independence Day, we bring into view seven of the best novelists and poets to grace bookshelves with their presence.

Manu Joseph
Born in Kottayam, Kerala, Manu Joseph is a journalist and author mostly known for his hilarious and dramatic debut novel Serious Men that eventually won him numerous awards including The Hindu Literary Prize.
The book tells the story of how an ordinary man working as an assistant in the Institute of Theory and Research views the day-to-day lives of intellectually prominent individuals.
After the initial publication of Serious Men in 2010, Manu eventually went on to release his second book The Illicit Happiness of Other People in September 2012.
Devdutt Pattanaik
After being in the healthcare industry for almost 15 years, Devdutt Pattanaik has written numerous books revolving around ancient Indian scripts and Hindu mythology.
Other than being highly recognised for his vast knowledge on Indian mythology, the Mumbai-based author is also known for the simplicity of his writing style - He aims to share his knowledge on ancient Indian mythology through simple terms and vivid illustrations that can make it easier for readers to understand.
Some of his books on Indian mythology include, Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata, Sita: An Illustrated Retelling of the Ramayana, My Gita, Krishna's Secret and many more.
Meena Kandasamy
Meena Kandasamy is a South Indian poet, novelist and women's rights activist who has written and published a number of books and poems including The Gypsy Goddess, When I Hit You and Ms Militancy.
Meena's style of writing is both powerful and thought-provoking, particularly her poems, through which readers can clearly see her passion and determination in highlighting certain issues concerning minorities.
Her works of contemporary fiction will truly submerges readers into her non-romanticised writings in which she channels her anger through her poems.
Rupi Kaur
Known for her aesthetic writing and simple illustrations, Rupi Kaur is an Indian Canadian poet and illustrator who is the author of the international bestselling books called milk and honey and the sun and her flowers.
It is with her ability to approach sensitive topics (such as womanhood, abuse, silence and family matters) in an artistic and poetic form that allows her readers to relate and connect with her writing.
Additionally, the young poet also uses her own cultural heritage as an inspiration for her style of writing, which explains why her poems are written exclusively in lowercase.
Jerry Pinto
Renowned poet and novelist Jerry Pinto, is a Mumbai-based writer and journalist who is widely known for his poems and his debut novel Em and the Big Hoom which won a number of awards such as The Hindu Literary Prize, Crossword Book Award and the Windham-Campbell Literature Prize.
Some of his other notable works include Helen: The Life and Times of an H-Bomb, A Book of Light: When a Loved One Has a Different Mind, and Bollywood Posters.
Amish Tripathi
Born and raised in Mumbai, India, Amish Tripathi is mostly known for writing the Shiva Trilogy through which he explores Hindu mythology and rewrites it into a unique fictional story of his own.
Selling over 4 million copies of his books in India, Amish continues to fascinate readers with his writing, transporting them into a fantasy world of adventure and powerful deities.
Kiran Desai
Daughter of professor and novelist Anita Desai, Kiran Desai followed in her mother's footsteps as a writer and went to become one of the most influential women in India.
Upon publishing her first book called Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard, the author won the Betty Trask Award for her impeccable story telling of a true-to-life story about a man who lived on a guava tree.
Eventually, Kiran released her second novel called The Inheritance of Loss for which she won many awards including the 2006 Man Booker Prize.

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