 "Seven Indian-origin authors feature in NYT's 100 Notable Books of 2023 list")
The New York Times (NYT) released the list of 100 notable books of 2023, with seven books written by Indian-origin writers, including Salman Rushdie and Pico Iyer.
Every year, the staff of The New York Times Book Review picks 100 books, including novels, memoirs, biographies, poetry collections, stories, and others.
The list is split into "fiction" and "non-fiction", with each book getting a label such as historical fiction (After Sappho by Selby Wynn Schwartz, Forbidden Notebook by Alba de Cespedes), southern thriller (All the Sinners Bleed by S A Cosby), climate fiction (Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton, Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam Zhang), family saga (The Bee Sting by Paul Murray and Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano), crime (Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead), poetry (From From by Monica Youn), graphic novel (A Guest in the House by Emily Carroll), biography (Anansi's Gold by Yepoka Yeebo), memoir (The Best Minds by Jonathan Rosen), science (Crossings by Ben Goldfarb and Fire Weather by John Vaillant), investigative reporting (Some People Need Killing by Patricia Evangelista), politics (The Undertow by Jeff Sharlet), media (Unscripted by James B Stewart and Rachel Abrams), US history (You Have to be Prepared to Die Before you can begin to Live by Paul Kix), among others.
Of the 100 books, seven are written by Indian-origin writers.
Category: Fiction
1. The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
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The book, a historical fiction, follows three generations across 77 years in Kerala. The family suffers a peculiar affliction: in every generation, one character dies by drowning. The book revolves around the political strife and other troubles.
Verghese is a professor of the Theory and Practice of Medicine and Vice Chair of Education at the Stanford University Medical School. He is the author of the best-selling book Cutting for Stone.
2. Western Lane by Chetna Maroo
The book revolves around an 11-year-old Jain girl in London who has lost her mother and turns her attention to playing squash.
Chetna Maroo is a British-Indian author whose debut novel, Western Lane, has been shortlisted for the 2023 Booker Prize.
3. A History of Burning by Janika Oza
The book, a historical fiction, tells the story of an extended Indo-Ugandan family that is displaced, settled, and displaced again.
Janika Oza's debut novel, A History of Burning, was shortlisted for the Governor General's Award for English-language fiction at the 2023 Governor General's Awards.
4. Victory City by Salman Rushdie
The book, a historical fantasy, recounts the long life of Pampa Kampana, who created an empire from magic seeds in 14th-century India. Her world is one of peace, where men and women are equal, and all faiths are welcomed.
Salman Rushdie, an Indian-born British-American novelist, combines magic realism with historical fiction and primarily deals with connections, disruptions, and migrations between Eastern and Western civilisations.
Category: Non-fiction
5. Cobalt Red by Siddharth Kara
The book depicts the mining of minerals in toxic conditions for subsistence wages in Congo — all too often, by children.
Siddharth Kara is a British Academy Global Professor and an associate professor at the University of Nottingham.
6. The Great Escape by Saket Soni
The book depicts the story of several hundred Indian men lured to this country on promises of work and green cards who ended up in semi-captivity in Mississippi.
Saket Soni, a labour organiser, is the founder and director of Resilience Force, a national non-profit that advocates for the rising workforce that rebuilds after climate disasters.
7. The Half-Known Life by Pico Iyer
The novel, a memoir, talks about what paradise means to the world. He writes: "Paradise becomes something different in every neighbour's head."
Siddharth Pico Iyer is known for his travel writing. He is the author of numerous books on crossing cultures, including Video Night in Kathmandu, The Lady and the Monk, and The Global Soul.