English poetry books continue to draw readers back because poetry slows us down. It asks us to pause, feel, and think, often in ways prose cannot. In a world of endless scrolling, poetry offers stillness, intensity, and emotional clarity.
Indian English poetry often circles familiar emotions of grief, desire, anger and belonging, but approaches them through landscapes we recognise – cities in flux, inherited histories, fractured identities, and quiet personal rebellions. That relatability is precisely why readers keep returning to these books.
In this article, we explore some of the most compelling English poetry books by Indian authors, both modern classics and contemporary favourites alike.
By Ashish Bagrecha
Ashish Bagrecha rose to popularity as a well-known Instagram poet, especially among younger readers, for his emotionally direct poems on healing, heartbreak, and mental health. Love, Hope and Magic speaks to a generation raised on vulnerability. Ashish Bagrecha writes about heartbreak, depression, healing, and belief with disarming simplicity. Divided into six sections, the poems trace falling apart and finding light again.
This book is particularly suitable for readers discovering poetry through social media or returning to it during emotional upheaval. It offers reassurance without pretence and reminds us that poetry can be a quiet companion through dark phases.
By Tamanna Sharma
Tamanna Sharma gained recognition as a young Indian poet for her raw, diary-like writing style and her honest exploration of difficult themes such as death, vulnerability, and self-reflection. She reflects on these themes with a maturity beyond her years. The “grave” here is metaphorical—a space of introspection rather than despair. What stands out is Sharma’s honesty and courage in confronting mortality so early in life.
This book is suitable for readers who enjoy introspective, confessional poetry that explores vulnerability, self-reflection, and coming to terms with difficult emotions.
Translated by Pavan K Varma
This bilingual collection captures Gulzar’s lyrical brilliance in English without diluting its emotional core. Themes of love, separation, grief, and environmental concern flow through more than forty poems. Gulzar’s restraint is his strength—his lines rarely shout, yet they linger. The translations retain his subtlety so well that the boundary between original and translation often disappears. Poems like Triveni distil complex emotions into three lines, proving how little language poetry truly needs.
This book is ideal for both first-time poetry readers and long-time poetry lovers who appreciate subtle, lyrical writing on love, loss, and human relationships.
(Read: Gulzar: The Multifaceted Maestro of Urdu Poetry and Indian Cinema)
By Tishani Doshi
Tishani Doshi is widely read for her fearless feminist voice and her rare ability to merge poetry, politics, and performance. In this unflinching, necessary collection, Tishani writes about violence against women, memory, the body, and home with startling precision. Her poems move between childhood spaces, cities passed through, and the physical self, often unsettling the reader. Yet, there is beauty here—raw, briny, and sharp-edged. Several poems echo performance and movement, drawing from Doshi’s background as a dancer.
Perfect for readers drawn to bold, feminist poetry that confronts violence, identity, and the body with emotional intensity and political urgency.
By Ranjit Hoskote
Ranjit Hoskote is known for his intellectual depth and global reputation as both a poet and art critic. His poetry engages with history, ecology, and philosophy without losing emotional force. In this collection, Ranjit Hoskote sweeps across history, mythology, ecology, genocide, and climate collapse with intellectual agility. His poems ask urgent questions: what remains of humanity when history fractures language itself? This is poetry that requires rereading—and repays it every time.
It is enjoyed best by experienced poetry readers who enjoy intellectually rich, layered poems engaging with history, climate, philosophy, and global crises.
Edited by Arvind Krishna Mehrotra
Arun Kolatkar is regarded as a pioneer of modern Indian English poetry, admired for his sharp irony and minimalist style. This definitive volume brings together Arun Kolatkar’s English poems written over four decades. Known for his spare, ironic voice, Kolatkar reshaped modern Indian poetry. From Jejuri to Kala Ghoda Poems, his work blends humour, scepticism, and spiritual inquiry without reverence or nostalgia. His poems observe ordinary life with an artist’s eye and a sceptic’s wit.
This collection is essential reading for students, scholars, and serious readers looking to explore the foundations of modern Indian English poetry.
Why These English Poetry Books Stay With Us
What unites these English poetry books is their emotional honesty. Some confront public violence, others map private grief. Yet, all of them trust the reader’s intelligence and empathy. They do not offer easy answers. Instead, they invite reflection, rereading, and return.
