Manu S Pillai, 29, Author

Manu S Pillai has established himself as a leading young historian with a knack for excavating incidents and figures forgotten by time. His first book, Ivory Throne: Chronicles of the House of Travancore (2016), told the story of Sethu Lakshmi Bayi, 'the last—and forgotten— queen of the House of Travancore'. Rebel Sultans: The Deccan from Khilji to Shivaji (2018) brought alive the history of medieval Deccan. In his latest book, The Courtesan, the Mahatma and the Italian Brahmin: Tales from Indian History (2019), Pillai once again creates compelling portraits. He has brought to the fore women characters often sidelined by history. He is not looking to recreate manly tales of valour, focusing instead on a far more syncretic and complex world where men and women played pivotal roles.