Kankana Basu is a Mumbai based writer. Her published works include Cappuccino Dusk, Long Listed for the 2007 Man Asian Literary Prize and published by HarperCollins India and a book of short stories, Vinegar Sunday (published by Indialog). She also illustrates children’s fiction and in her free time assists in translating the works of her grandfather, the late Bengali author Saradindu Bandopadhyay.

She is recently finished (ready for submission) with the manuscript of her third book The Messiah and is nearly finished the first working draft of her fourth novel Secret of the Zamindar's Cusine.

Kankana contributes to various publications and journals and is a regular contributor with The Sunday Hindu. Her journalistic writing revolves around social and educational issues, celebrity profiles, lifestyle, analytical essays and book reviews.

Cappuccino Dusk: Published by HarperCollinsIndia
A wacky poetry spouting boy, Mustafa walks into the house of the argumentative Banerjees and turns life upside down for the eccentric family and their friends. Coffee, conversation and laughter follow until circumstances force their lives into unexpected directions. Now, unlikely alliances must be forged and dangerous desires awakened as the Banerjees and their friends leave behind familiar warmth to explore uncharted territories. Set in contemporary Mumbai, the novel explores the trials, tribulations and trajectories of people caught between the best and worst of the traditional and the modern.

Cappuccino Dusk is now in its third impression.

Reviews:

• The book talks of the dark and bright shades of Mumbai through a Bengali family- The Asian Age
• Basu's real strengths are: a gift for humour- rare enough in Indian fiction in English- and an unerring eye for people- Mint Lounge
• Basu's comprehension of the Bengali ethos and her descriptive analysis of familial bonds make the book extremely appealing- The Pioneer
• It is Basu's writing style that keeps the magic alive in the story. The tightly written manuscript which loosens up at the right spots, will keep you cuddled up to the book till the end- Hindustan Times
• Basu's portrait of the daily routine of a family that is special in its ordinariness is very raw and real- DNA
• This debut novel presents a panoramic portrait of a quirky Calcutta clan in a big bad metro- Mail Today
• She maintains the same degree of freshness in her debut novel too- The Tribune

Vinegar Sunday: Published by Indialog
A collection of thirteen inter-connected short stories, Vinegar Sunday revolves around the eccentric residents of a dilapidated old building, affectionately named ‘Halfway House’. Tracing the intricate mesh of family relationships and exploring he delight, despair, dreams and secret desires of the residents, Vinegar Sunday attempts to capture the ennui of the Bengali living far away from his homeland.

Vinegar Sunday is now in its second impression.

Reviews:

• With Basu around, you don’t really need Jhumpa Lahiri. There is a rhythm to her stories that comes from many tunes, some even unheard by most- Ravi Shanker Ettheth
• Kankana Basu’s Vinegar Sunday announces the arrival of quiet ironic voice in the little explored genre of the Indian short story in English. She is a writer to watch out for- C.P Surendran
• Written with a sensitive eye for detail and emotions, the stories conjure up a world of Bengali middle class angst and middle-aged epiphanies. In content and style Basu reminds one of that other great interpreter of contemporary Bengali sensibility, Amitav Ghosh- Malavika Sangghvi
• Kankana Basu offers positive clues to the future of the Indian short story in English. Her literary palate mingles sweet and sour flavours, with a surprise sprinkling of pepper- The Hindu
• Vinegar Sunday marks the arrival of exciting new voice on the literary scene- The Times of India
• A quiet understated collection of short stories, Vinegar Sunday is the kind of book that brings a smile to your face- Sunday Mid Day
• The stories derive much of their charm from the way they weave around the most mundane issues, looking at them from new perspectives, throwing new insights on them- The Book Review