Life’s Longing for Itself

Playing to the Guru

Atul Merchant Jataayu chronicles the musical genius and personal proclivities of his legendary teacher Annapurna Devi

‘Writing Is Somewhat a Masochistic Activity’

M Mukundan’s award-winning biography of a city reveals Delhi’s underbelly with compassion. The author tells Antara Raghavan why a river of sorrow runs beneath his stories

Red-Light Dreams

A police procedural and sociological treatise set in Calcutta

Set in Stone

A Delhi saga spanning two hundred years foregrounds the masons and labourers

True Detectives

States of Defence

The Memory Wars

The Quiet Gems

The majority of this year’s list of bests comprises quieter books, those which arrived with less fanfare and left a lasting impression

My Choice

Pratap Bhanu Mehta | William Dalrymple | Amit Chaudhuri | David Davidar | Ira Mukhoti | Aatish Taseer | Arundhati Subramaniam | KR Meera | TCA Raghavan | Tridip Suhrud | Tishani Doshi | Mani Shankar Aiyar | Mini Kapoor