# The Best Indian Books in Translation

> Answers the query: “best indian books in translation”

_Last updated: 2026-06-27_

**Short answer:** The best Indian books in translation span many languages: S. Hareesh's August 17 (Malayalam), Saadat Hasan Manto's Bitter Fruit (Urdu), Rabindranath Tagore's Selected Short Stories (Bengali) and P. Sivakami's The Taming of Women (Tamil). Together they open up the literatures beyond English that define India's storytelling.

India writes in dozens of languages, and the finest of that work reaches English through translation. Our picks range across Malayalam, Urdu, Bengali, Tamil, Kannada and Hindi, from S. Hareesh's August 17 to the timeless stories of Manto and Tagore. Start here to read the India that English-only lists miss.

## The list

1. **August 17**, S. Hareesh
   Read this if you want acclaimed contemporary Malayalam fiction: a novel from S. Hareesh, one of the most celebrated voices writing in Malayalam today.
   https://www.altbook.net/book/august-17
2. **Allah Miyan’s Workshop**, Mohsin Khan
   Read this if you want fresh translated fiction: Mohsin Khan's novel arrives in English translation with a tender, searching sensibility.
   https://www.altbook.net/book/allah-miyans-workshop
3. **Tamil**, Edited by Perundevi
   Read this if you want a way into Tamil literature: this anthology gathers the best contemporary Tamil short stories in English translation.
   https://www.altbook.net/book/tamil
4. **Bitter fruit**, Saʻādat Ḥasan Manṭo (ISBN 9780143102175)
   Read this if you want the master of the Partition story: Saadat Hasan Manto's very best Urdu fiction, unflinching and humane.
   https://www.altbook.net/book/bitter-fruit
5. **The Taming Of Women**, P. Sivakami (ISBN 9780143104100)
   Read this if you want landmark Tamil Dalit-feminist fiction: P. Sivakami's The Taming of Women, translated from Tamil.
   https://www.altbook.net/book/the-taming-of-women
6. **Selected short stories**, Rabindranath Tagore (ISBN 9780140188547)
   Read this if you want the foundations: Rabindranath Tagore's selected short stories, translated from Bengali by a Nobel laureate.
   https://www.altbook.net/book/selected-short-stories-8547
7. **Half a Rupee**, Gulzar (ISBN 9780143068792)
   Read this if you love spare, poetic storytelling: Gulzar's Half a Rupee gathers short stories translated from the original.
   https://www.altbook.net/book/half-a-rupee
8. **Here, There and Everywhere**, Sudha Murti (ISBN 9780143444343)
   Read this if you want warm, accessible storytelling: Sudha Murty's Kannada-rooted anecdotes about the spirit of everyday India.
   https://www.altbook.net/book/here-there-and-everywhere
9. **The Colours of My Heart**, Faiz Ahmed Faiz (ISBN 9780670086054)
   Read this if you want revered Urdu poetry: Faiz Ahmed Faiz's selected poems in translation, The Colours of My Heart.
   https://www.altbook.net/book/the-colours-of-my-heart
10. **Gitanjali**, Rabindranath Tagore, Marie Luise Gothein, William Butler Yeats (ISBN 9780143419563)
   Read this if you want the classic that won Tagore the Nobel: Gitanjali, translated from Bengali.
   https://www.altbook.net/book/gitanjali

## FAQ

**What are the best Indian languages to read in translation?**

Malayalam, Bengali, Urdu, Tamil, Kannada and Hindi all have rich translated literatures. This list samples each, from S. Hareesh's Malayalam fiction to Manto's Urdu stories and Tagore's Bengali classics.

**Who is Saadat Hasan Manto?**

Manto was one of the greatest Urdu short-story writers, known for unflinching Partition-era stories such as 'Toba Tek Singh.' His work is widely read in English translation, including the collection Bitter Fruit.


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Source: AltBook, https://www.altbook.net/collections/best-indian-books-in-translation