We have all come across the words ‘climate change’, ‘sustainability’ and ‘carbon footprint’. It’s either the topic of discussion in air-conditioned big conference rooms about how this year’s heat was way off the charts or a project your cousin in school is supposed to work on. Climate change is a lived reality for every creature inhabiting this planet, and the future looks bleak. But its reflection in the literary world is one-fifth of its shadow. This statistic is now changing, as the publishing industry experiments with genres like ‘green literature’, ‘cli-fi’ or the good old climate change writing. 

It first established itself by expanding into non-fiction titles. These books dealt with an array of topics ranging from changing weather patterns, understanding crop failures, to the threat of species extinction. This genre of writing is perceived with a lingering sense of dystopia and rightly so. For dystopia, like Rome, isn’t built in a day. The world now acknowledges the need of the hour to have these conversations not just through non-fiction titles, but to enter the canvas of human imagination through the power of what only fiction writing can accomplish. And today’s blog will aim to apprise you of climate change writers in India in both these genres.

Climate change fiction writers in India: 

1. Amitav Ghosh – On top of our list, we have the acclaimed and award-winning writer Amitav Ghosh. He is a prolific storyteller, who has quite a reputation for bringing forth critical thoughts spanning across colonialism, history, politics and literature. He has been on the forefront of addressing the climate change war in India through a series of fictional and non-fictional works. He is a rare writer in that sense, as there is an extensive body of work in both these genres. In terms of fictional works, one may begin with The Hungry Tide and Gun Island. The Hungry Tide (2004) is set in the Sundarbans forest. A young, Asian-American named Piya Roy visits the forest as a marine scientist to research Irrawaddy dolphins. It’s a great book for someone who wants an introduction to what the forest represents and holds. This text also went on to win the Hutch Crossword book prize.
   
   Gun Island (2019) is a modern retelling of an old Bengali myth involving the female goddess Manasa Devi. We have a protagonist named Deen, and the story mostly unfolds from his point of view. He’s a sixty-something person whose career involves dealing in rare books and is visiting Kolkata for business. At its heart, the novel is about two issues: Climate change and human migration. Deen’s travels and conversations unravel how and the extent to which climate change will have an impact on lives. 

Know more about Amitav Ghosh’s work here. 

2. Janice Pariat – is a poet and author, best known for her novel “The Nine-Chambered Heart”. Janice Pariat has been awarded the Young Writers Award by Sahitya Akademi. She recently published ‘Everything the Light Touches’ in 2022, a book that contains the journey of four people across different continents.  It might seem like they lead different lives, yet, as the Sahara Desert replenishes the Amazon rainforest, these individuals are just drops of humanity, realising their connection to nature. All of them are connected to plants, and the overall symbolism of the text concludes that plants have an invisible system of roots that replenishes them; similarly, human interaction with nature ultimately leads to real fulfilment. 

You can watch our interview with Janice Pariat here 

3. Shubhangi Swaroop – Her debut novel ‘Latitudes of Longing’ weaves four stories, geographically placed in undefined places in the Andaman Islands, Myanmar, Nepal and a fictional village claimed by India and Pakistan. It has four sections – Islands, Faultline, Valley and Snow Desert. Each section explores a particular geographical location, with its political and cultural history. For instance, the first section, ‘Islands’, introduces us to our first characters, Girija Prasad and his wife Chanda Devi. As the narrative moves, new characters emerge, and they all come together in a full circle at the end. 

4. Sheela Tomy – shines in her debut work ‘Valli’. Originally, it was published in Malayalam and has been translated into English by Jayasree Kalathil. The book has also been awarded several titles, along with the JCB Prize for Literature. Valli is set in Wayanad, Kerala and recounts the tale of a couple who elope in the hopes of building a peaceful life for themselves. What they encounter is complete devastation and commercialisation of the place. It highlights bonded labour, Adivasi culture and violence in the name of employment. Sheela Tomy herself is a climate change activist and actively promotes eco-consciousness. 

5. Prayaag Akbar – is an Indian journalist turned novelist. His debut work, Leila, is a dystopian glimpse into the future of two cities – Delhi and Mumbai. This book views climate change in an urban setting with an economy that is breaking down and political promises that turned out hollow. Shailini, our protagonist, marries a Muslim man and, unfortunately, loses him to murder. Prayaag Akbar has written a total of two books and has been awarded the Crossword Jury prize and other renowned titles for the same. 

6. Sarnath Banerjee – is an artist, filmmaker and an Indian graphic novelist. He has a chain of works on environmental decay, and one such recommendation is his graphic novel “All Quiet in Vikaspuri”. It was published in 2015 and is a satirical account of what seems to be an emerging issue in these times: water. The scarcity of water poses a serious threat, especially to the middle class, to whom the world is sold on the idea of capitalism. Girish, the protagonist, sets out on a journey to find the river Saraswati, as it is believed that she holds the solution to this water crisis. The novel succeeds in handling a grave issue such as this with delicacy and humour. 

7. Sidhartha Deb – is a journalist and author of “The Light at the End of the World”.  He has published four books and currently resides in Harlem, New York. The book we are discussing today is set in four different moments of Indian history. So, there’s the Himalayas two years after the first Independence war of 1857, Calcutta on the edge of Partition, days before the Bhopal Gas Tragedy in 1984 and Delhi in the year 2020. The novel begins with Delhi, a city on the verge of breakdown with protests and pollution. This work has been described as a fever dream, and that is exactly how the first portion of the book feels. Strange events happen to our central character, Bibi, and the novel ends on an ambiguous note. 

Climate change non-fiction writers in India :  

1. Arundhati Roy – is a widely known name in the Indian literary scene. She is the author of the bestselling work ‘The God of Small Things’. Apart from being a fiction writer, she has always raised a voice about issues regarding human rights, climate change and social injustice. She has published various essays, expressing her concern about the ecological damage, such as “The End of Imagination”, “The Greater Common Good”, “The Road to Harsud” and “Listening to Grasshoppers: Field Notes on Democracy”. These works highlight subjects ranging from nuclear bomb testing to dam building, all from a political angle.
   
2. Mridula Ramesh – is the author of “India’s Climate Change Crisis and What We Can Do About It”. She is also the founder of the Sundaram Climate Institute, which focuses on water and waste management. Her work has been divided into two parts. The first half introduces the problem in the Indian context, the background and its impact. The second part of the book is directed towards action in different sections of the economy – agriculture, food, water and more. It’s a packed read which would give you insights into the administrative aspects of climate change in India. Moreover, Mridula Ramesh is an investor, professor and is involved in various initiatives to build climate change resistance.
   
3. Yuvaan Aves – He is a writer, climate change activist and an educator hailing from Chennai. He is the author of – Intertidal : A Coast and Marsh Diary. He has also contributed significantly to children’s climate change literature.
   
4. Sidhartha Singh – He is the author of “The Great Smog of India”, a book that delves into the cost and impact of living in air pollution, how did we reach to such a tipping point and the way forward. According to the author, this book was born out of a need to make energy and environment research accessible for public consumption. The book contains nine chapters, and each chapter is rife with policy, economy and administrative decisions. It also contains little stories of how air pollution affects human lives scattered across different classes.
   
5. Ramchandra Guha – is a historian, environmentalist and writer. He has published a significant amount of work on the environment and one recommendation from his work is “Speaking with Nature: The Origins of Indian Environmentalism”. This book combines ten thinkers who wrote about environmental abuse long before the West’s consciousness of environmentalism. It is a thoroughly well-researched book featuring individuals such as Rabindranath Tagore, M. Krishnan, K.M. Munshi and more. These writings cover an array of topics from wildlife, soil, rivers, to unchecked urbanisation.
   
6. Meera Subramanian – is a science journalist, professor and writer. She is the author of “A River Runs Again”. She unflinchingly stares at the problem India faces with its population, taboos and education, all in the context of the warming effect of our planet. She does so by taking specific case studies. As the name suggests, the book instils a sense of hope in the reader. “To hope is also to act” writes Subramanian.
   
7. Viju B. – is a leading journalist from Kerala and has written the book ‘Flood and Fury: Ecological Devastation in the Western Ghats’. The book begins with a brief introduction of the Western Ghats; its background and topography. Viju B. goes on to explain the consequences of human decisions on nature with a true account of what has gone down. 

If you like reading non-fiction, you can check out our list of 33 Indian autobiographies here. 

Conclusion 

Climate change fiction is rising rapidly in India as well as across the world. These titles are expanding into children’s literature as well, reflecting a shift in what young readers are drawn to. One reason behind this change is the way that these younger generations are engaging with environmental issues. They’re growing more aware, more anxious, and more curious about the planet’s future and well-being. As a result, there’s an untapped space in this category as individuals actively seek stories that mirror their experiences or create a space where they can connect to nature. Climate change action is one such hope that humanity has of understanding and changing in a world of extremes.