The Hindu Lit for Life 2026 | In conversation with literary agent Kanishka Gupta

Kanishka Gupta rarely minces his words when it comes to the state of Indian publishing — be it on the nepotism and privilege prevalent in the industry or the quality of translation of bhasha texts, which, in his view, is often mediocre. “I am honest about things, which is why I have a fair share of detractors,” says the Delhi-based literary agent.

And yet, Gupta’s agency, Writer’s Side, founded in 2010, is possibly the largest in Asia today, having represented more than 1,500 writers across multiple genres worldwide. Agent to authors such as Anees Salim, Indira Jaising, Neha Dixit, Jerry Pinto, Ranjit Hoskote and Josy Joseph, Gupta has also always been a champion of translations and has two International Booker Prize-winning books — Banu Mushtaq’s Heart Lamp (translated by Deepa Bhasthi) and Daisy Rockwell’s translation of Geetanjali Shree’s Tomb of Sand — in his roster. He also discovered Booker-shortlisted author Avni Doshi and globally represented Shehan Karunatilaka, winner of the 2022 Booker Prize, for his 2024 short story collection Birth Lottery and Other Surprises, a new novel, and his series of children’s books.

International Booker Prize 2025 winners, author Banu Mushtaq (left) and translator Deepa Bhasthi.
| Photo Credit:
Murali Kumar K.

“It has been a difficult journey,” says this self-confessed industry “outsider”, who will be at The Hindu Lit for Life in Chennai on January 18. Gupta, however, refuses to be bitter about what he sees as the publishing industry’s cliquishness. “If I had been in a position of power and pedigree and come up through the right ranks, I, too, would have been suspicious of someone like me. But I kept at it,” he says with a smile.

The rise of Writer’s Side has coincided with many changes in the industry. One of them, according to Gupta, is the role of an agent. “Agents are very important and powerful right now. When I started, 5% or 10% of the books were agented; now it is close to 60%-70%. In fact, some publishers will not entertain a manuscript without an agent,” he says. At his session at Lit for Life, Gupta will discuss ‘Publishing in the Age of Infinite Voices: Curation or Chaos?’ with Elizabeth Kuruvilla of Simon & Schuster India and Manasi Subramaniam of Penguin Random House India.

When he started, Gupta says “there were (only) two main categories: literary fiction and the commercial novel”. Today, publishers are experimenting with genres; many independent publishing houses focusing on specific genres, such as children’s books, have emerged, and some have even thrived, he says.

One broad category that is doing exceptionally well is non-fiction, with readers lapping up well-written, rigorously researched books. “Gone are the days of a book about the election, published right after the election, or a quickie biography of some celebrity who has passed away. Also, Bollywood is losing its thrall on publishing,” says Gupta. “And, of course, after the success of Ghachar Ghochar, No Presents Please, Tomb of Sand and now Heart Lamp, there is a lot of conversation about translations from South Asian languages.”

The industry, while not in crisis mode, is clearly not growing, says Gupta, who has some prescriptions to reinvigorate the stagnating publishing business. He firmly believes that the system needs better marketing professionals who can develop more thoughtful, well-curated marketing plans. Also, “we need our own-grown influencers whose recommendations actually make a difference, like the famous book clubs in the U.S. and the U.K., which feature stars like Reese Witherspoon and Dua Lipa”.

Does the spectre of AI that looms over nearly everything today bother him? “I have not been affected by AI,” he says. “Nor have I received too many AI-generated submissions. The only real impact AI has had on me is that I’ve been invited to panels on AI and literature.”

Click here to register for The Hindu Lit for Life 2026.

preeti.zachariah@thehindu.co.in

Published – January 16, 2026 06:15 am IST