Literary gems
Writer Anees Salim lists his six favourite books by Malayali authors.
The God of Small Things (Arundhati Roy)
Blessed with beautiful prose, immaculate craft and linguistic innovation, this gem of a novel set in Kerala is nothing short of a modern classic.
Serious Men (Manu Joseph)
When a master satirist like Manu looks closely at India’s caste system and its daily failures, you have a story that is funny and poignant at once.
A Feast of Vultures (Josy Joseph)
Josy looks at corruption in contemporary India through the eyes of an uncompromising journalist. His complete lack of fear makes this book brilliant.
Narcopolis (Jeet Thayil)
A tale of opium dens, drug addiction, sex and many other things, Narcopolis unveils the raw side of Bombay. It is lyrical and inventive, and not an easy book to read.
Until the Lions: Echoes from the Mahabharata (Karthika Nair)
Karthika retells the Mahabharata in many voices, each hitherto unheard of, and it is impossible not to be captivated by them. A brilliant poetic tribute to the epic.
Not Only the Things that Happened (Mridula Koshy)
This is a book about loss and redemption, memories and emptiness, longing and hopelessness. It is a touching tale and a liberating read.