Deviants

It’s magnificent: funny, melancholic, sharply true. The force of it crept up on me in a brilliantly subtle way * James Cahill, author of Tiepolo Blue *
Deviants is so compulsive and wrenching it made me miss my tube stop more than once. Rarely have I felt so invested in a novel: I carried each strand with me into my life, their joy, grief and hope. The detail and care that goes into these stories makes them burn in you long after the pages are closed. Bhattacharya has written the epic text for the South Asian queer community that the characters in this book long to find * Sarvat Hasin, author of The Giant Dark *
There is an epic confidence to Bhattacharya’s writing * Samira Ahmed *
Deviants is a beautifully written and formally inventive multi-generational tale of gay life in one Indian family * Ben Fergusson, author of Tales from the Fatherland *
A fearless portrait of a changing society, bringing hitherto marginalised lives centre stage with great heart and humour … At times heartrending, but also life-affirming and celebratory * Allan Radcliffe, author of The Old Haunts *
A vibrant, engaging and important novel. Santanu Bhattacharya explores gay love in India across three generations of a family with remarkable elegance and compassion. By turns funny, illuminating and moving, Deviants is a fine achievement * Stephen Buoro, author of The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Africa *
Fluent, fascinating and groundbreaking ... Bhattacharya is a skilful writer, who effortlessly weaves together the different strands of his story, giving us intimate portraits of all three men - their lives, their loves and their families - alongside a vivid evocation of a rapidly changing India, from the 1970s to the present day. A rich, multifaceted story that is both funny and heartbreaking, clear-eyed and hopeful * Joanna Quinn, author of The Whalebone Theatre *
Deviants is a brilliantly compelling novel. Emotionally powerful and not shy in terms of explicit content, it dives right inside the lives of three generations of queer Indians. Like Mambro, I’m thankful the language now exists to tell their stories and that Bhattacharya is the one admirably wielding the pen * Priscilla Morris, author of Black Butterflies *
One of the first queer novels by a South Asian writer, and Santanu's most personal yet. * Service 95 *
Bhattacharya's storytelling talents are limitless * Nikesh Shukla, praise for One Small Voice *