Novels That Best Capture Mumbai

Whether you’re wanting an insider’s perspective of The City of Dreams or seeking to view your city from a fresh angle – or perhaps you’re just feeling a bit homesick – we have rounded up some of the finest books that capture life in the ever-changing hub of Mumbai. From colonial-era Bombay to the contemporary, dynamic metropolis it is today, these books do a great job of preserving the spirit of the city.

Set in 1970s-Bombay, this Man Booker Prize Shortlisted novel follows its narrator’s arrival in the city and subsequent entry into its opium underground. The debut novel of established poet and songwriter Jeet Thayil, Narcopolis (2012) draws on the author’s own experiences as a drug addict in Mumbai.