Who are the most underrated fiction writers in India?

Kaustubh
@thebigk
Published: Jul 26, 2025
Updated: Feb 28, 2026
Views: 625

Who do you think are the most underrated fiction writers in India?

I genuinely believe that only a handful of writers get all the limelight, while dozens of equally brilliant authors remain overlooked. Some of the most powerful stories are hidden in plain sight - written by voices that never got the platform they deserved.

Iโ€™m open to all kinds of suggestions - regional language writers, self-published authors, or even fiction bloggers. If their writing moved you, Iโ€™d love to hear about them.

Letโ€™s give these writers the attention they deserve. Looking forward to your recommendations!

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  • Ambarish

    @ambarish Aug 12, 2025

    Love this topic! Leaving aside the big names we all know, here are some Indian fiction writers who deserve way more love than they get:

    Jahnavi Barua: Assam-based stories with a lot of heart and strong women at the center (Next Door, Undertow).

    Easterine Kire: Magical realism meets Naga folklore (When the River Sleeps, Son of the Thundercloud).

    K. R. Meera: Master of psychological drama in Malayalam (read her in translation: Hangwoman, The Unseeing Idol of Light).

    Anuradha Roy: Big abroad, under-discussed at home (Sleeping on Jupiter, All the Lives We Never Lived).

    Jerry Pinto: Way more to him than Em and the Big Hoom; his short fiction and translations are gems.

    Would love to learn about and discover other authors too.

  • Kaustubh

    @thebigk Feb 28, 2026

    Pulling in @MSTq0X7 , @kVMpLK5 and @0q7BTCz - would love to have your inputs.

    PS: Please update your user names ๐Ÿ™‚