An unconventional history of Pakistan through portraits of its leadership

Feroz Rather’s debut collection of short stories is a record of humanity in a place where very little of it survives.

Exploring the role of the black economy in political finance and how it subverts democracy.

Khan, who is a doctor at AIIMS, has ensured — perhaps, to the point of a slight contrivance — that his lead characters have backgrounds that are judicious nods to the political turmoils of the day.

A hands-on approach to conservation from those working in forest lands that don’t get the attention they deserve.

An examination of marriage raises the right questions not just about the institution, but also of the successes and failures of the great Indian family.

Veteran rocket engineer S Nambi Narayanan on being embroiled in the ISRO spy case along with six other colleagues and how the fictitious case set India's space programme back by years.

A well-compiled handbook that provides a warning about the deteriorating state of democracy across the the globe

An enduring collection of correspondence between K Natwar Singh and his eclectic circle of friends that included Nirad C Chaudhuri, Indira Gandhi, RK Narayan and Mulk Raj Anand

A blend of the mythical and political gives this Bangladeshi novel in translation its special significance

Ramachandra Guha on the second volume of his biography on Mahatma Gandhi, the cost of criticising the incumbent government and why Dalits are a major political force today.

Chinmay Tumbe’s debut book traces the history of migration in India and locates it in the immediate socio-cultural context of the times.

Battles rage and freedom cries ring loud as people live and love in fictional Pipli town, in this novel set in the 1940s

Democracy was supposed to give power to the people. Instead, it has conferred sweeping powers on the executive

Espionage is an unending game, says Vikram Sood, but policymakers treat intelligence assessments like instant coffee

Shandana Minhas’s novella, Rafina, falls flat because of its lack of pace and the singular unlikeability of its lead

Despite the controversies it has generated, Karan Thapar’s book offers a fine glimpse into his career and personal life and the bond of trust that once existed between the media and those in power

An English translation by Aniruddhan Vasudevan was published by Penguin in 2016.

A delectable memoir that contextualises Indian food and navigates its culinary nuances effectively

Against the backdrop of a politically tumultuous Assam, a discursive meditation on identity, loss and belonging

Essays that underline Indian governance-democracy’s need for divine help in the face of multiple crises

The intractability of waste management in India

In a wide-ranging conversation, Walter Andersen speaks of the changing nature of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, how it was influenced by its different sarsangchalaks and the challenges that lie ahead of the organisation

Hamid Kureshi’s memoir is a stark reminder of the 1969 Ahmedabad riots and the need to tackle the communal flames of polarisation.