Maneka Gandhi to Namita Gokhale: Authors and books to look forward to in 2020

Loss by Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghvi

If life’s eternal quest is to find love, its eternal misery is knowing that it will be lost. Losing someone one loves is an inescapable reality and Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghvi, in his book Loss, tries to understand the different ways to deal with it. And he does so by drawing from his own experiences and giving a touching portrait of bereavement but also providing a way to heal from it. It is his first collection of non-fiction and will be published by Harper Collins, India.

365: A Poem a Day – Selected and edited by Gulzar

This is a collection of 365 poems by different Indian poets selected and translated into Hindi by Gulzar. It promises to provide an insight to different voices from different regions. It will be published by Harper Collins, India.

365: A Poem a Day- Selected and edited by Gulzar will be published this year. (Photo: Express Archive)

For a Moment of Taste: How What We Eat Impacts Animals, the Planet and Our Health by Poorva Joshipura

With her book, For a Moment, Joshipura intends to do a deep dive into what happens to animals after they are used for meat, eggs and other dairy products. Joshipura has been long associated with PETA and with this she intends to understand and explain the emotional capacities and intelligence of these widely consumed animals and also shed light on the cruel industry practices. It will be published by Harper Collins, India.

Honour Bound: Adventures of an Indian Lawyer in the English Courts by Sarosh Zaiwalla

Acclaimed lawyer Sarosh Zaiwalla in this memoir looks back and, as is evident from the title, writes about his journey to London in 1975. Marked by youthful exuberance and naivete, his trip to the city of his dreams did not turn out the way he had hoped. He writes about his disappointments while filling it with a healthy dose of drama and intrigue. It will be published by Harper Collins, India.

Poison on a Platter by Maneka Sanjay Gandhi

Gandhi, who is a prolific author, turns the spotlight on everyday foods and dissects how harmful they can be. In this pursuit, she also tries to tell us things we can do to save our planet. It will be published by Harper Collins, India.

Shuttling to the Top: The Story of PV Sindhu by V Krishnaswamy

Shuttling to the Top: The Story of PV Sindhu is about the celebrated shuttler and traces her journey from when she used to travel over 40 kilometres from her home in a railway colony in Secunderabad, to being the first Indian to win an Olympic silver medal for badminton. It will be published by Harper Collins, India.

The book will be published by Harper Collins, India. (File Photo)

Funeral Nights by Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih

Nongkynrih, a resident of Shillong, weaves a tale around the death of a Khasi man. He delineates how that incident prompted his friends and family members to come together and narrate stories all night long. Through this, Nongkynrih effectively spotlights on the myths and legends of people and their community. It will be published by Westland Publications.

The Alchemy of Secrets by Priya Balasubramanian

In this novel, the author traces the journey of 24-year-old Mira as she comes back to India to be with her dying grandmother. It is the journey, however, that changes things for her. She learns about her mother’s death in suspicious circumstances during the Emergency. One incident leads to another as the past comes to confront the present. It will be published by Westland Publications.

Girls of Mumbaistan by Piyush Jha

Director and screenwriter, Jha posits his story in the heart of Mumbai and creates a tightly-cut portrait of three compelling crime-fiction novellas. It will be published by Westland Publications.

The Women Who Forgot To Invent Facebook And Other Stories by Nisha Susan

In her debut outing, Susan touches upon themes like love, intimacy, violence as well as the pervasiveness of the Internet and its effect in our lives. The collection of stories weaves in these themes to make for a memorable read. It will be published by Westland Publications.

Rethinking India series

The 14-volume series, Rethinking India, intends to initiate a conversation regarding the key questions concerning us at large today. Contributed by various intellectuals, activists, academics among others, the collection will shed light on the plurality and inclusivity of India. It will be released all through 2020.

Jaipur Journals by Namita Gokhale

Read all about Jaipur Literature Festival here. (Source: Amazon.in)

Jaipur Journals, as the name suggests, is all about the Pink City. Gokhale, who has been associated with the Jaipur Literature Festival for long, presents an insightful novel which can be read like a paean to addressed to it and also a biting satire on the pretention as well as the pathos of the “loneliest tribe of them all: the writers”.

Happy for No Reason by Mandira Bedi (with Satyadev Barman)

Fitness enthusiast and fashion icon Mandira Bedi has much going for her but there are days she does not feel like getting out of bed. Bedi’s struggles sound similar and like many of us, she has embarked on her quest to find what will truly make her happy. The journey has not ended yet but she believes she is on the right track. She unpacks this in the book.

The book will be out in 2020.

No Straight Thing Was Ever Made by Urvashi Bahuguna

In this book, Bahugana breaks down and examines the various facets of mental illness and tries to understand what it is like to live with them. A collection of deeply-moving essays, the collection brings together personal narratives and researched pieces.

The Dry Fasting Miracle by Luke Coutinho

In this book, the award-winning holistic nutritionist Coutinho writes about the diet practices and falls back upon ancient days to trace the evolution of our eating habits. He focusses on the dry fasting diet, which has its roots in the past, and states how enacting it can help us avoid a host of diseases.

Rip the Halo: Real Mothers, Real Voices by Pooja Pande

Pande, in this book, writes about her experience with motherhood, all the while subverting stereotypes we associate with it. Filled with anecdotes and witty insights, she explores the various kinds of motherhood.

Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara

Jau, all of nine years of age, watches too many shows and feels he knows better than the rest. However, things really come to test when a boy from his school goes missing and he takes it upon himself to solve it. Things soon take a dangerous turn as children continue to disappear and he, with his two friends, are compelled to confront their parents and even police force to reach the truth.

What will you be reading this year?