The Most Anticipated Indian Books of 2026
Updated 2026-07-21 · 3 books
2026 is a loaded year for Indian writing in English and in translation. Booker- and prize-shortlisted names are back with new novels, and some of the country's most distinctive voices are publishing across fiction, memoir and politics. These are the 2026 titles we'd put at the top of the pile, a mix of literary fiction, translation, and non-fiction that argues with the moment.
- 1
The Complex
Karan Mahajan
Read this if 'The Association of Small Bombs' stayed with you, Karan Mahajan returns with a novel early readers are calling Shakespearean and 'unputdownable.'
FictionNovel - 3
August 17
S. Hareesh
Read this for the best of Malayalam fiction in translation, a new novel from S. Hareesh (author of 'Moustache'), 'brilliant, and superbly translated.'
Fiction - 4
Aamchi Mumbai
Gulzar
Read this if you love Bombay; across fourteen stories and poems, Gulzar distils seven decades of the city into 'My City in Stories and Poems.'
Fiction
At a glance
| # | Book | Author |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Complex | Karan Mahajan |
| 3 | August 17 | S. Hareesh |
| 4 | Aamchi Mumbai | Gulzar |
Frequently asked
What new Indian fiction should I read in 2026?
Start with Karan Mahajan's The Complex and Meena Kandasamy's Fieldwork as a Sex Object for English-language literary fiction, and S. Hareesh's August 17 (from Malayalam) if you want the best of Indian writing in translation.
Which 2026 Indian book is best for readers who liked The Association of Small Bombs?
The Complex, it's Karan Mahajan's return after that Booker-longlisted novel, and early readers describe it as Shakespearean and hard to put down.
Prefer a plain-text version of this list? You can find one here.