The Best Indian Books in Translation
Updated 2026-06-27 · 10 books
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.
- 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.
Fiction - 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.
FictionTranslation - 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.
FictionShort StoriesTranslation - 4
Bitter fruit
Saʻādat Ḥasan Manṭo
Read this if you want the master of the Partition story: Saadat Hasan Manto's very best Urdu fiction, unflinching and humane.
Translations into EnglishUrdu literature - 5
The Taming Of Women
P. Sivakami
Read this if you want landmark Tamil Dalit-feminist fiction: P. Sivakami's The Taming of Women, translated from Tamil.
Tamil fictionTranslations into EnglishRoman - 6
Selected short stories
Rabindranath Tagore
Read this if you want the foundations: Rabindranath Tagore's selected short stories, translated from Bengali by a Nobel laureate.
Translations into EnglishSocial life and customsFiction - 7
Half a Rupee
Gulzar
Read this if you love spare, poetic storytelling: Gulzar's Half a Rupee gathers short stories translated from the original.
Translations into English - 8
Here, There and Everywhere
Sudha Murti
Read this if you want warm, accessible storytelling: Sudha Murty's Kannada-rooted anecdotes about the spirit of everyday India.
Indic literatureKannada AuthorsAnecdotes - 9
The Colours of My Heart
Faiz Ahmed Faiz
Read this if you want revered Urdu poetry: Faiz Ahmed Faiz's selected poems in translation, The Colours of My Heart.
Translations into English - 10
Gitanjali
Rabindranath Tagore, Marie Luise Gothein, William Butler Yeats
Read this if you want the classic that won Tagore the Nobel: Gitanjali, translated from Bengali.
Bengali poetryTranslations into EnglishTranslations from Bengali
At a glance
| # | Book | Author |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 17 | S. Hareesh |
| 2 | Allah Miyan’s Workshop | Mohsin Khan |
| 3 | Tamil | Edited by Perundevi |
| 4 | Bitter fruit | Saʻādat Ḥasan Manṭo |
| 5 | The Taming Of Women | P. Sivakami |
| 6 | Selected short stories | Rabindranath Tagore |
| 7 | Half a Rupee | Gulzar |
| 8 | Here, There and Everywhere | Sudha Murti |
| 9 | The Colours of My Heart | Faiz Ahmed Faiz |
| 10 | Gitanjali | Rabindranath Tagore, Marie Luise Gothein, William Butler Yeats |
Frequently asked
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.
Prefer a plain-text version of this list? You can find one here.