Pride Month is not just a celebration—it’s a powerful reminder of the stories that have long been pushed to the margins. In honor of June, Storizen has curated a heartfelt list of the Best LGBTQ+ Books to Read in June (Indian Edition), spotlighting voices that dare to live, love, and speak their truth in a society that often resists them. From moving memoirs and rebellious romances to poignant fiction capturing the intersections of identity, politics, and family, these nine books represent the vast spectrum of queer life in India. Whether you’re seeking affirmation, empathy, or simply unforgettable storytelling, this list is your literary guide for Pride and beyond.
1. Radiant Fugitives by Nawaaz Ahmed
Radiant Fugitives is a striking debut that spans generations of a Muslim Indian family navigating deep personal and political shifts. At its heart is Seema, a political consultant thriving in San Francisco during the Obama era, yet carrying the wounds of being exiled by her father after coming out as lesbian. Now heavily pregnant and separated from her child’s Black father, Seema finds herself drawing close again to the family she thought she’d lost—her terminally ill mother Nafeesa, visiting from Chennai, and her deeply religious sister Tahera, a doctor in Texas. As the three women reunite in anticipation of Seema’s baby, what unfolds is not just a homecoming, but a raw unraveling of long-held griefs, betrayals, and fierce, complicated love. Narrated through the eyes of Seema’s newborn son in the moments of his birth, the novel weaves lyrical prose with echoes of Keats, Wordsworth, and the Quran, crafting a powerful story of reconciliation, identity, and the unbreakable bonds of family.
2. Ram C/o Anandhi (English Edition) by Akhil P. Dharmajan and Haritha C.K.
Their Story Will Steal Your Heart is a vibrant, heart-tugging tale of love that blossoms where it’s least expected. When Ram, a hopeful young filmmaker, trades the calm backwaters of Alleppey for the chaos of Chennai, he’s chasing dreams of cinema and storytelling—not romance. But fate has other plans. Enter Anandhi, a sharp-tongued, no-nonsense receptionist at his film school who has no patience for his big-city aspirations. Sparks fly, tempers flare, and soon, their daily clashes give way to an undeniable connection. As their enemies-to-lovers journey unfolds, Ram and Anandhi must confront societal expectations, personal fears, and the question of whether love alone is enough. With echoes of The Hating Game, 2 States, and Pride & Prejudice, this modern love story brims with passion, humor, and the kind of emotional depth that lingers long after the last page.
3. Night in Delhi by Ranbir Sidhu
Night in Delhi is a gritty, unflinching dive into the shadows of a city where morality is blurred and survival takes center stage. In this dark and electric portrait of urban life, Ranbir Sidhu weaves together the stories of a hustler and his lover—a rising music star doubling as his pimp—a disillusioned American chasing spiritual redemption, and a young woman trying to climb her way out by joining the ranks of India’s underworld. No one here is entirely good, nor entirely evil—just raw, restless, and desperate to rewrite their fate. With prose that crackles with tension and fearlessness, Sidhu offers a transgressive, genre-defying take on contemporary Indian fiction. Night in Delhi is not just a story—it’s a descent into a world where the line between ruin and redemption is razor-thin.
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4. Deviants: The Queer Family Chronicles by Santanu Bhattacharya
Deviants is a powerful, multigenerational tale that traces the hidden and often heartbreaking journey of three gay men from the same Indian family, each navigating love, identity, and societal resistance in their own era. At its center is Vivaan, a teenager exploring desire in the digital age, supported by his parents yet treading the secret, seductive terrain of online romance. Decades before him, his uncle Mambro endured the suffocating silence of the closet during a time when homosexuality was criminalized. And long before them both, Sukumar, the family’s quiet outlier, lived a life overshadowed by forbidden love and unspoken longing. Through their interconnected stories, Santanu Bhattacharya—author of One Small Voice—crafts a moving, defiant portrait of queer lives across generations, where courage, shame, passion, and legacy collide. Deviants is at once intimate and sweeping, a bold reminder of how love endures even when the world says it shouldn’t.
5. Chikkamma Tours (Pvt.) Ltd: A Bibliomystery by Unmana
Chikkamma Tours (Pvt.) Ltd is a delightfully offbeat, bookish murder mystery set against the moody, rain-soaked backdrop of Bengaluru. At the center of the chaos is Nilima—a fat, queer, sarcastic, whisky-loving bookworm—who’s more than ready to channel her inner sleuth when the bookstore owner upstairs turns up dead. Solving the crime becomes her perfect excuse to get closer to her magnetic boss, Shwetha, though it also means teaming up with the irritatingly chipper colleague Poorna and navigating awkward run-ins with Inspector Sharmila Lamani—who just happens to be dating Nilima’s ex. With shady suspects, a determined local gangster, and the police hell-bent on blaming the wrong guy, this trio finds themselves unraveling a twisty whodunit. Packed with sharp wit, warm charm, and a healthy dose of queer chaos, Unmana’s debut is a cozy mystery with teeth—and plenty of heart.
6. Walk Like a Girl: A Memoir by Prabal Gurung
Walk Like a Girl is a fearless, heart-stirring memoir by celebrated fashion designer Prabal Gurung—a story of grit, grace, and the unyielding pursuit of authenticity. Born in Nepal and shaped by the complexities of growing up queer in South Asia, Prabal dreamed of a life beyond prejudice and limitation. His journey took him to New York City, where he chased the American Dream, only to collide with new layers of discrimination within the glittering yet cutthroat world of high fashion. Through candid reflections, he reveals not just the trials behind the runway glamour, but also the inner strength it took to survive and thrive, dressing icons like Michelle Obama, Kamala Harris, and Oprah Winfrey. At the heart of his story is the enduring influence of his mother, Durga Rana, whose love helped him see that the very traits the world tried to suppress—his queerness, his femininity, his sensitivity—were the sources of his power. Walk Like a Girl is more than a memoir; it’s a bold call to embrace vulnerability, rewrite the narratives imposed on us, and celebrate the beauty of being unapologetically yourself.
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7. I Am Onir and I Am Gay by Onir
I Am Onir and I Am Gay is an unflinchingly honest and deeply moving memoir from acclaimed filmmaker Onir, whose groundbreaking debut My Brother Nikhil marked a turning point for queer representation in Indian cinema. Co-written with his sister Irene Dhar Malik, this candid account traces Onir’s life from his childhood in Bhutan to his relentless climb through the unforgiving terrain of Bollywood as an outsider with big dreams. In a world that often demands silence, Onir chose authenticity—embracing his identity as one of the few openly gay directors in Indian film with courage and clarity. Through stories of rejection, resilience, and quiet victories, he offers a rare, heartfelt look at what it means to live truthfully in the face of systemic barriers. I Am Onir and I Am Gay is not just a personal narrative—it’s a defiant celebration of queerness, creativity, and the power of owning your story.
8. The Ministry Of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy
The Ministry of Utmost Happiness is Arundhati Roy’s sweeping, lyrical return to fiction—a kaleidoscopic tale that drifts through the margins of society, weaving together lives shattered by conflict, identity, and longing. At its heart is Anjum, once Aftab, a hijra who turns an Old Delhi graveyard into a sanctuary for the forsaken, and Tilo, an elusive architect entangled in the chaos of love, rebellion, and resistance. Their lives intersect when Tilo adopts an abandoned child, setting off a journey that spans cities and decades, from the narrow lanes of Delhi to the burning valleys of Kashmir. Told in Roy’s signature prose—piercing, poetic, and full of unexpected grace—this is a story of those who live on the edges yet carry the weight of the world within them. The Ministry of Utmost Happiness is not just a novel—it’s a meditation on the human spirit, fractured yet unbowed.
9. So Now You Know by Vivek Tejuja
Set against the backdrop of 1990s India, this tender and sharply observant memoir traces Vivek’s journey of self-discovery as a young boy who knew he was different—long before he could name what that meant. At just eight years old, Vivek found himself in love with his best friend Deepak, unaware of how to process those feelings in a world that offered him only caricatures like Pinku from Mast Kalandar—a role that made him shrink into silence, toughen his voice, and edit his gestures. With a nostalgic lens tinted by Bollywood films, beloved books, and the ever-present Bombay sea, Vivek takes us through a childhood filled with longing, confusion, courage, and quiet resilience. Funny, bittersweet, and achingly honest, this memoir is both a personal coming-of-age story and a reflection on what it meant to grow up gay in a time and place that offered little room for softness or truth.
As we turn the final pages of these compelling narratives, one truth stands tall: stories have the power to affirm, challenge, and transform. The Best LGBTQ+ Books to Read in June, thoughtfully curated by Storizen, reflect not only the diversity of queer experience in India but also the resilience and richness of the human spirit. Whether you’re part of the LGBTQ+ community or an ally seeking deeper understanding, these books offer connection, courage, and hope—essentials we all need, no matter the month.
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