Now in English

Cobalt Blue by Sachin Kundalkar

Translated by Jerry Pinto

Woven around a brother and his sister who fall in love with the same man, this is a story that explores existential angst, betrayal, isolation, loss, homosexuality and love. The original work in Marathi (of the same name) and the English translation are equally compelling. 

The Four Hundred Songs of War and Wisdom

Translated by George L Hart and Hank Heifetz

Purananuru is an anthology of poetry by more than 150 Sangam poets of ancient Tamil Nadu, featuring universal themes of life, death, poverty, despair and love, without delving into karma or heavy philosophy.

Aavarana: The Veil by S.L. Bhyrappa

Translated by Sandeep Balakrishna

Through his liberal protagonist Lakshmi, who converts to Islam at her husband’s request, Bhyrappa trawls through history to trace the origins of religious practices and beliefs. Aavarana is both a historical and historic novel, which secured ten reprints within five months of its Kannada release in 2007.

Panty by Sangeeta Bandyopadhyay

Translated by Arunava Sinha

Made up of two novellas, the book yanks female sexuality from its place under the carpet, and place it in the spotlight. Panty (originally in Bengali) chronicles a woman’s erotic walk in another’s shoes, rather, leopard underwear. And in Hypnosis we meet a jilted TV journalist who turns to hypnosis and drugs to help find love.

Dozakhnama: Conversations in Hell by Rabisankar Bal

Translated by Arunava Sinha

What would the writer Saadat Hasan Manto and the poet Mirza Ghalib talk about? Conversations in Hell (originally in Urdu) outlines a discussion between the writers about the social and political cultures of the two centuries between their lives on Earth. Oh, and it takes place in hell.