Following the critical success of his debut novel, One Small Voice, LMH alumnus Santanu Bhattacharya (2015, Master of Public Policy) has returned with his much-anticipated second novel, Deviants. Released on 13th February - fittingly during LGBTQ+ History Month - Deviants is a deeply moving exploration of identity, love, and resilience across three generations of gay men in India.
Photo credit: Behrin Ismailov
Set against the backdrop of a rapidly evolving society, Deviants weaves together the lives of Vivaan, Mambro, and Sukumar - three men whose experiences of love and self-acceptance are shaped by the cultural and legal landscapes of their times. Vivaan, a teenager in India's booming technology hub, discovers love and desire through the digital world, where boundaries blur, and possibilities open. His parents are aware of his sexuality and offer their support, yet they remain unaware of the complexities of his online existence.
Mambro, Vivaan’s uncle, came of age in a starkly different era. Thirty years earlier, he found himself ensnared in a forbidden romance with a male classmate at a time when homosexuality was still criminalised under India's colonial-era laws. His journey is marked by secrecy, fear, and an unyielding yearning for the love he was denied by society’s rigid constraints.
Their stories trace all the way back to Mambro’s uncle Sukumar. Forced to suppress his love for another man due to overwhelming social taboos, Sukumar never lived the life he longed for. Yet his unspoken desires and unfulfilled dreams serve as a catalyst for future generations, igniting a quiet revolution in his nephew and grand-nephew.
Deviants is described by Allan Radcliffe, author of The Old Haunts, as “A fearless portrait of a changing society, bringing hitherto marginalised lives centre stage with great heart and humour” and by Sarvat Hasin, author of The Giant Dark, as “Compulsive and wrenching…Bhattacharya has written the epic text for the South Asian queer community that the characters in this book long to find”.
Santanu grew up in India, and was a recipient of the 2023 Desmond Elliott Prize Residency and the 2021 Mo Siewcharran Prize. His debut novel, One Small Voice, was hailed as an Observer Best Debut Novel of 2023 and was shortlisted for both the Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award and the Society of Authors’ Gordon Bowker Volcano Prize.
With Deviants, Santanu continues to challenge narratives and push boundaries, delivering a poignant and powerful testament to the courage it takes to love and live authentically. As LGBTQ+ rights continue to evolve in India and beyond, Deviants, one of the first queer novels by a South Asian writer, examines the histories we inherit and the legacies we leave behind.
