
JCB Prize for Literature 2020: Malayalam author S Hareesh's Moustache, translated by Jayasree Kalathil, wins the award
Moustache revolves around Vavachan, a Pulayan or a lower caste man who gets the opportunity to play the role of a policeman only to earn the ire and fright of the upper castes for sporting the frightening, titular, mustache.

JCB Prize for Literature 2020: Annie Zaidi, debut novelist Megha Majumdar among writers longlisted for the literary award
While debut novelists such as Dharini Bhaskar and Megha Majumdar are among the writers longlised for the prize, translated works such as S Hareesh's Moustache and Ashoke Mukhopadhay's A Ballad of a Remittent Fever will also be among the works of fiction competing for the award.

Dhruba Hazarika’s Luck offers moving look at human-animal relations, and a counter to ideas of man as 'civilised'
There’s an old-school charm in Hazarika’s writing that is strengthened by an emotional pacing that keeps the reader engaged.

Tishani Doshi on Small Days and Nights, writing about marriage and the bond between the body and language
In her latest book Small Days and Nights, Tishani Doshi weaves a story of two sisters, Grace and Lucia, one fleeing a failed marriage and the other who has Down’s syndrome, living in the proverbial house by the sea.

Crossword Book Awards: Shashi Tharoor, Snigdha Poonam win honours at 16th edition
Ruskin Bond and Soha Ali Khan won awards in the Popular category at the latest edition of the Crossword Book Awards

Left from the Nameless Shop: Read an excerpt from Adithi Rao's collection set in small-town Karnataka
Adithi Rao's collection of stories is set in the fictional town of Rudrapura, where there is a strong sense of community and life is simple

Firstpost Poetry Project: Ankita Shah presents 'A(f)fair Warning' and 'Vulture'
Ankita Shah, one of the founders of The Poetry Club, speaks about the importance of poetry collectives and what writers can gain from being part of them

Udayan Mukherjee on his debut novel Dark Circles, and why he may never return to television studios
The joy of imagining a world and writing about it can never be compared to the career I had in journalism, says Udayan Mukherjee

Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghvi on The Rabbit & the Squirrel, writing about friendships and love
Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghvi speaks about how a wrote for a friend turned into an illustrated book, his writing and his affinity for the sea

Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar on writing his first children's book, depicting small-town India in fiction
Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar on taking inspiration from the children's magazine Champak and his favourite children's books

Benyamin on his new book Jasmine Days, writing about the Arab Spring and the beauty of Malayalam
Benyamin speaks about the politics embedded in his works and how he uses writing as an outlet for the pain he experiences

Police officer, thriller writer, social media whiz: Meet the Kolkata cop who tracks crime in fiction and real life
Supratim Sarkar has used his way with words to write a collection of crime stories and manage the content of Kolkata Police's social media platforms | #FirstCulture

The Miss India Murders: Read an excerpt from Gauri Sinh's whodunit, set in the world of beauty pageants
Read an excerpt from Gauri Sinh's The Miss India Murders, where a model is found dead on the ramp, moments after she has walked on it with much grace | #FirstCulture

Crime isn't always punishment: Boom in titles shows this genre of fiction is only growing
For lovers of crime fiction, here is a list of books that will keep you hooked, from one based on a true story to another of a feminist detective | #FirstCulture