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FOREIGN POLICY: What are people in India reading these days?

Shobhaa De: India is a huge country, with over 36 recognized languages. People are increasingly turning toward regional literature. Self-help books dominate, especially those in the management category. The Secret is doing very well, too. [So are books like] the Chicken Soup series. Other than that, biographies and Bollywood books are selling brilliantly.

FP: What topics or themes would you like to see Indian authors write more about?

SD: I look for originality and spunk. I would like to hear contemporary female voices talking about changed realities. We need writers willing to take risks. I am bored with the scene at present. I want to be shocked and stunned. There are far too many politically correct writers indulging in “safe” books. India is undergoing such dramatic and swift social change. But where are the books that reflect this moment? India needs a wake-up call.

FP: Are there any topics that Indian authors are discouraged from writing about?

SD: No! The only limits are the ones we set for ourselves. There is absolute freedom of expression. We are not bound by any laws to avoid certain subjects—religion, politics, sex. Despite this luxury, writers refuse to take chances. There is far too much self-consciousness,...