Book: Hassan’s State of Affair
Author: Mirza Athar Baig
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Critically acclaimed, Lahore-based Mirza Athar Baig is one of the most important contemporary Urdu writers. This is his first book to be translated into English.
It follows an accountant, Hassan, and a group of filmmakers, who are working on Pakistan’s first surrealist film. As the film’s production runs into hurdles, the text itself explodes into multiple storylines, genres and characters.
Book: Such a Fun Age
Author: Kiley Reid
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Such a Fun Age is a page-turning story about race and privilege, set around a young black babysitter, her well-intentioned employer, and a surprising connection that threatens to undo them both. With piercing social commentary, the book explores transactional relationships, what it means to make someone ‘family’, and the complicated reality of being a grown up.
Book: Raavanputr Meghnad: Prince of Lanka
Author: Kevin Missal
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Meghnad was the perfect son of the tyrannical king, Raavan. Ever since his childhood, he was taught to be ruthless. He battled Indra and defeated Ram.
Then he fell in with a Naga princess who knew the truth behind Sita’s abduction. But this story is not about Ramayana. This is about Meghnad who learned the truth behind the war and gave up.
Book: Shadow Men: A novel and two stories
Author: Biyoya Sawian
Publisher: Speaking Tiger
Suddenly it parts, and three men come into view, furtive, quick. Then they’re gone. Minutes later, Raseel hears the sound of shots. Then silence. Almost from the very first line, the reader is pulled into Bijoya Sawian’s tense and poetic story of the mystery death of an outsider, in the beautiful hill town of Shillong.