Expanding horizons in Indian English publishing

Mahesh Rao (novelist), Achala Upendran (editor and writer), and Chinmay Sharma (SOAS)

Indian English publishing has come a long way since Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children first heralded both Indian English literature on a global stage, and the entry of multinational publishers in India. Now relatively well-established in English literature courses around the globe, Indian English literature continues to expand its repertoire of both literary and genre-fiction works and authors. Mahesh Rao and Achala Upendran discuss with Chinmay Sharma their experiences in the industry, the growth—actual and potential— they see in communities of reading and writing, and their own contributions in the field of Indian English literature.

Mahesh Rao is a novelist and short story writer. His short fiction has been shortlisted for various awards, including the Commonwealth Short Story Prize. His work has appeared in numerous publications, including the New York Times , The Baffler , Elle and Harper's Bazaar . His debut novel, The Smoke Is Rising , won the Tata First Book Award for fiction, and was shortlisted for the Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize and the Crossword Prize. One Point Two Billion his collection of short stories, was published in October 2015.

Achala Upendran is a consulting editor and writer based in Hyderabad, India. Previously, she worked in the editorial staff of Harper Collins India. Her writing on popular culture and television has appeared in a number of Indian news dailies, including scroll.in and The New Indian Express . Her debut fantasy novel is forthcoming from Hachette India in early 2018.

Chinmay Sharma is a scholar of South Asian Languages and Cultures at SOAS.