As we step into 2026, the literary world is poised for an extraordinary year of storytelling across genres. From immersive literary fiction and thought-provoking non-fiction to heart-pounding thrillers, romantic sagas, and imaginative fantasy, readers have much to look forward to. While bestselling authors are returning with new works that promise depth, originality, and emotional resonance, fresh voices are emerging with debut novels that challenge conventions and expand horizons.
TRANSLATIONS
Aamchi Mumbai: My City in Stories and Poems by Gulzar, translated by Rakshanda Jalil
Mumbai has been home to poet and lyricist Gulzar for seven decades and this book is a fitting tribute to a city in his lyrical andaaz. Translated by Rakshanda Jalil, slated to release in February, and published by HarperCollins, it includes 30 short stories and 70 poems. The bilingual book is a collector’s edition and a treat for Mumbaikars and anyone who is a fan of Gulzar.
Ponniyin Selvan Books 7 to 10 by Kalki/Nandini Krishnan
This unabridged and first-rate translation of Kalki Krishnamurthy’s masterwork by Nandini Krishnan is at once faithful to the original and accessible to the readers of this day. Carefully crafted in lyrical prose, the Ponniyin Selvan series is the quintessential page-turner: full of adventure, intrigue, conspiracy and romance. The remaining four books from the Ponniyin Selvan series, published by Westland, will likely be released in 2026, bringing the story to its completion.
Termite by Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay
Tapas Kumar Sen translates Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay’s debut novel, set in 1960s Calcutta, and takes us to the world of Shyam and his haunting descent from a life of respectability into alienation and despair after he resigns from his job in humiliation. Mukhopadhyay is one of modern Bengali literature’s finest and most prolific writers. He began his writing career in the politically volatile West Bengal of the 1960s and has experimented with a range of literary styles and genres, including detective fiction, surrealism, science fiction, and children’s literature. In Termite (Antonym Collections) with psychological insight and lyrical precision, Mukhopadhyay crafts a portrait of the modern man’s disintegration — brilliantly brought to life in Sen’s evocative English translation.
Travelling With God by Devarshi Sarogi
Travelling With God by Devarshi Sarogi, translated from Bengali by Moulinath Goswami (Antonym Collections), is all about devotion, evolution, sorrow, joy, freedom, death and the ever-increasing number of things we don’t really understand. Bangladesh-born Sarogi’s writings have garnered much acclaim from serious readers of modern Bangla literature. He has been awarded the prestigious Bhasha Bharati Samman by the Government of India, the Somen Chanda Memorial Award, and the Golpomala Puraskar for his contribution to Bengali literature. Sarogi keeps his expressions measured yet crafts gloriously imagistic passages. In his long literary career spanning over five decades, he has penned 30 novels and numerous short stories.
NON-FICTION Better Every Day: The Twelve Laws Of Positive Change by Arnold Schwarzenegger
From Arnold Schwarzenegger, the number one bestselling author of Be Useful, comes a masterclass in living in a dynamic state of continual improvement. Schwarzenegger learned long ago, as the greatest bodybuilder in history, that joy does not come from making it to the winner’s circle; it comes from the work it takes to get there. In Better Every Day, published by Penguin Random House, Arnold draws on priceless stories from his own life to help you on a path of continual improvement, whatever stage of life you’re in.
Biting Off More Than I Can Chew by Rahul Akerkar
Chef and restaurateur Rahul Akerkar, who founded Indigo in Mumbai in 1999 and introduced the concept of European fine dining in the city, brings this unapologetically honest, sharp and funny memoir published by HarperCollins. From launching his first catering company in his mom’s kitchen to building Indigo to making it to the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2017 and later walking away from it, the book captures the madness, magic, and misfires of a life spent chasing flavours.
Karuna: The Power of Compassion by Kailash Satyarthi
The new book from the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize has a simple yet transformative message: if we practise compassion towards ourselves, our fellow humans, and the environment we live in, we can make the world a better place. The social reformer has led well-known campaigns for the rights of children, education and child labour.
Make it Up as You Go Along: A Sort-of Memoir by Shefali Shah
The Emmy-nominated actress will delight her fans with her memoir that tackles everything about the glitzy world of Bollywood and streaming, ageism, love, being a working woman in the industry today, sexism, and the OTT revolution. Published by Bloomsbury, the memoir will touch upon her start with Ram Gopal Varma’s Rangeela and her other notable works like Satya, Monsoon Wedding, Waqt, Black, Delhi Crime and more.
Bhagat Singh’s Pistol by Jupinderjit Singh
From the author of Who Killed Moosewala comes this gripping book which retraces the extraordinary journey to uncover the whereabouts of Bhagat Singh’s legendary pistol. This weapon echoed through India’s freedom struggle and became a symbol of revolutionary courage. Blending archival detective work, forgotten testimonies, and new historical revelations, the book follows the trail of an object that vanished into bureaucratic shadows after the Lahore Conspiracy Case. As the search unfolds, it opens a window into Bhagat Singh’s radical mind, the networks that shaped him, and the contested memory of revolution in modern India.
FICTION Blind Furry: A Kutta Kadam Thriller by Ashwin Sanghi
Master storyteller Ashwin Sanghi returns with another gritty crime thriller, a follow-up to his bestselling Razor Sharp, for readers who crave psychological depth, forensic detail and the pulse of Mumbai’s underbelly. When a series of ritualistic murders rocks
the city, former Mumbai police legend Prakash Kadam is dragged back into a world he thought he had escaped. Joining him in the case is his daughter, and together they must find the killer who is one step ahead of them.
Vyasa’s Women by Anand Neelakantan
Anand Neelakantan, author
Mythology writer Anand Neelakantan is back with a new book, Vyasa’s Women, inspired by his hit podcast Amba. The book reimagines the Mahabharata through the eyes of the women who defined its destiny — Amba, Kunti-Gandhari, Hidumbi, Charulata, and Dusshala. Bold, contemporary and deeply human, their stories reveal the courage, power and heartbreak behind the world’s greatest epic.
The Raiders of Akashi Bay by Jugal Hansraj
Jugal Hansraj
Actor Jugal Hansraj brings The Raiders of Akashi Bay, the third book in the best-selling series. From the reluctant and cowardly prince of the first book, The Coward & The Sword, to the more self-assured Kadis of the second book, The Jewel of Nisawa, to the poised prince of the third and final one, Jugal has kept the readers enthralled through action, magic and romance. Ruchi Shah’s iconic illustrations make this children’s book more enchanting.
Absolute Jafar by Sarnath Banerjee
Sarnath Banerjee’s new book is possibly his most ambitious work yet. An award-winning graphic novelist whose oeuvre includes Corridor, The Barn Owl’s Wondrous Capers, The Harappa Files and others, tells the story of Bhrigu and his son Jafar, in a tale of displacement, exile, togetherness and isolation.