Sharanya Manivannan writes and illustrates fiction, poetry, children’s literature and non-fiction. Her two most recent books, Mermaids in the Moonlight and Incantations Over Water, honour her Batticaloa roots, using the town’s famed mermaid and singing fish iconography to render stories of love and war.

Sharanya’s seven published books include the short story collection, The High Priestess Never Marries, which won a 2016 South Asia Laadli Award. Her books have been nominated for The JCB Prize, The Hindu Prize, The Neev Book Award, The Atta Galatta-Bangalore Literature Festival Book Prize, The Tata Literature Live! First Book Award and other honours. In 2024, she received a Devi Award in recognition of the impact of her work.

Sharanya grew up in Sri Lanka and Malaysia, and currently lives in India.

Top Titles

• The High Priestess Never Marries (2016)
• Mermaids in the Moonlight (2021)
• Incantations Over Water (2022)