River and Other Water Bodies

Title of the Novel/Novella/Play	Author’s Name	Language	Water Body Name	Water Body Type	Publication Details	Year of Publiction	Genre	Theme	English Translation	Translator
A Bend in the River	V.S. Naipaul	English	Congo	River	Alfred A Knopf	1979	Novel	Reminiscent of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, A Bend in the River chronicles both an internal journey and a physical trek into the heart of Africa as it explores the themes of personal exile and political and individual corruption. It expresses Naipaul’s skepticism about the ability of newly decolonized nations to forge independent and politically viable identities.	NA	NA
A Song of Many Rivers	Ruskin Bond	English	Bhagirathi, Mandakini	River	Rupa Publications	2016	Short Story Collection	Between the boy and the river was a mountain. The thickly forested mountain hid the river, but I knew it was there and what it looked like…I had heard of it, of the fish in its waters, of its rocks and currents and waterfalls and it only remained for me to touch the water and know it personally. The snowy Himalayas, where the Bhagirathi, the Mandakini and so many others arise, the towns and villages that lie by their banks, the legends and stories that are as immortal as these waters, all come alive in A Song of Many Rivers. Prepare to get swept away by the tales and narratives about these beautiful, majestic and beloved rivers in this collection of some of Ruskin Bond’s most compelling river stories.	NA	NA
Aathi	Sarah Joseph	Malayalam	Undefined	River	Current Books	2011	Novel	The novel is inspired by the life and myths of mussel pickers of Valanthkkad in Kochi, is soaked in the waters of Kerala.	Gift in Green	Valson Thampu
Kopalkundala	Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay	Bengali	Bay of Bengal (Gangasagar)	Gulf	Prahlad Kumar Pramanik, Calcutta (1947)	1866	Novel	It portrays the life of Kapal-Kundala, a forest-dwelling girl, and her coming to terms with life outside the forest. The forest where Nabakumar, the eventual husband of the girl, meets her for the first time lies along the gulf of the Ganges and the description of the sea is incredible in the very first chapter.	Kapal-Kundala	Henry Arthur Deuteros Phillips (1885), Devendra Nath Ghose (1919)
Tarini Majhi	Tarashankar Bandopadhyay	Bengali	Mayurakshi	River	Anandabazar Patrika	1935	Novel	It’s about a boatman named Tarini whose life is intricately related to the Mayurakshi River. The river is almost an extension of his life	NA	NA
Padma Nadir Majhi	Manik Bandopadhyay	Bengali	River Padma	River	Bengal Publishers, Calcutta (1948)	1936	Novel	This novel depicts the venturesome lives of the boatmen living near Padma. The story’s setting is Ketupur, a village surrounded by the river, and the lives of its people are heavily dependent upon the river.	The Boatman of the Padma	Barbara Painter and Yann Lovelock (1973), Ratan K Chattopadhyay (2012)
Kalindi	Tarashankar Bandopadhyay	Bengali	Brahmani	River		1940	Novel	A novel based in and about the Kalindi river bank.	Kalindi – The Caprice of the River and the Greed of Man	Leila L Javitch
Kopoboti	Pramathanath Bishi	Bengali	Kopai	River	General Printers and Publishers	1941	Novel	A novel on the river Kopai.	NA	NA
Hansuli Banker Upakatha	Tarashankar Bandopadhyay	Bengali	River Kopai and Bakreshwar	Curve of a riverbelt/ Meander	Bengal Publishers, Calcutta (1947)	1947	Novel	Though not directly linked with the ocean or riverbank as its setting the name “Hansuli Bank” suggests a turn connecting Bakreswar and Kopai that used to be an important business route. Here Hansuli is the name of the protagonist but naming him on the turn of two rivers is symbolic.	The Tale of Hansuli Turn	Benjamin Conisbee Baer (2011)
Dhaleswari	Prabodhbandhu Adhikari	Bengali	Dhaleswari	River	Hemlata Prakashani	1948	Novel	The portrayal of the river Dhalswari and the people living around.	NA	NA
Ichhamati	Bibhuti Bhushan Bandopadhyay	Bengali	Ichhamati	River		1950	Novel	The novel, set along a river, dives into the ecological past of Bengal. Here river is used as a metaphor for time and timelessness.	Restless World of the Ichhamati	Rimli Bhattacharya
Tistaparer Britanto	Debesh Roy	Bengali	Tista	River	Dey’s Publishing	1952	Novel	A novel portraying the people residing in the areas near river Teesta. It shows the destruction of the river ecology and its protection by a man who becomes almost a forest man by the end of the novel.	NA	NA
Mahananda	Narayan Gangopadhyay	Bengali	Mahananda	River	G. S. Library	1953	Novel	The Bengal famine of 1943.	NA	NA
Padma Pramatta Nadi	Subodh Basu	Bengali	Padma	River	Granthagar	1953	Novel	The danger lying around the river Padma and life around it	NA	NA
Kashboner Konya	Shamsuddin Abul Kalam	Bengali	River Padma	River		1954	Novel	It is a novel centred upon two romantic couples belonging to the fisherman community of Bangladesh	NA	NA
Titas Ekti Nadir Naam	Advaita Mallabarman	Bengali	River Titas	River	Punthighar, Calcutta (1956)	1956	Novel	The novel is about Malo, a community of fishermen and its relation with the river they live near. Titas river is originated from the river Meghna. It talks a great deal about the lives dependent upon the water of the rivers.	A River Called Titash	Kalpana Bardhan (1993)
Uddharanpurer Ghat	Abadhut	Bengali	The Ganges	River	Mitra o Ghosh	1956	Novel	Dulal Chnadra Mukherjee whose pen name was Abadhut was not only a prolific writer but was also interested in Tantra. He used to explore different crematories situated on riversides. Uddharanpur is well known for its crematorium. The book is a Tantrik’s take on a river and crematorium to write a great deal about death, life and the survival of the cremators in the form of a Thriller.	NA	NA
Ekti Jaler Rekha	Atin Bandopadhyay	Bengali	Meghna	River	Chirantani Prakash Bhaban	1956	Novel	It is an adventure novel where three young boys take a boat towards Meghna for fishing. The ecology of the riverside is shown in detail.	NA	NA
Ganga	Samaresh Basu	Bengali	The Ganges	River	Mousumi Prakashani, 1974	1957	Novel	Story of the pre-partition Bengal’s fisherman community named “Malo Machhmara”. It depicts the unpredictable lives of the fisherman community. Death is an everyday affair. The ending of the novel is open where the protagonist leaves home for the sea.	NA	NA
Mayurakshi	Saroj Kumar Roy Choudhury	Bengali	Mayurakshi	River	Vidyoday Library Pr Ltd.	1957	Novel	Life around Mayurakshi River	NA	NA
Panchatapa	Asutosh Mukhopadhyay	Bengali	Morai	River	Mitra o Ghosh	1958		A fictionalised account of the construction of a dam of a river through which the tussle between nature and human civilisation is drawn.	NA	NA
Trinabhumi	Syed Mustafa Siraj	Bengali
	Bengali	Bengali	River			1958		Major Indian languages
Asti Bhagirathir Tire	Nihar Ranjan Mitra	Bengali			Mitra o Ghosh	1958
Dhaleswari	Prabodhbandhu Adhikari	Bengali	Dhaleswari	River	Hemlata Prakashani	1948	Novel	The portrayal of the river Dhalswari and the people living around.	NA	NA
Nadir Sange Dekha	Baren Gangopadhyay	Bengali	Unnamed	River	Nabapatra Prakashan	1959	Novel	It is a tale of an unnamed river in 24 Parganas. Suddenly after a storm, the river dries up. All the villagers start panicking about some unknown danger lurking around and suddenly there is a huge flood. Ecological crisis, vengeful nature and human relations are some of the elements in the story.	NA	NA
Charkashem	Amarendra Ghosh	Bengali	Padma	Fodder	Sahitya Prakash, 1961	1961	Novel	Char Kashem depicts how nature plays a destructive and formative role in Bangladesh’s agrarian society. In this novel, most important endowment of nature appears to be char or alluvial land topped up by soft, fertile silt. It is no wonder that the author passionately terms the char as ‘milk cream’ (char noi to dudher shar).	NA	NA
Ilish Marir Char	Abdul Jabbar	Bengali	The Ganges	Fodder	Universal Book Depot, Kolkata	1961	Novel	Abdul Jabbar in his fiction Ilish Marir Char has delineated the challenges of the fisher folk incredibly. The representative of the fisher folk Zainuddin and his struggle along with his comrades has exceptionally drawn our attention towards the fiction. The real portrayal of the fisher folk and the subalterns of the riverbanks has been depicted in the master hand of Abdul Jabbar.	NA	NA
Charpurnima	Jhareshwar Chattopadhyay	Bengali	Sundarbans	Sea	Sahitya Prakash	1964	Novel	A fiction on the life of Sundarbans
Kando Nadi Kando	Syed Waliullah	Bengali	Bakal	Dried River		1965	Novel	It depicts the life around a dried river.	NA	NA
Tungabhadrar Tire	Sharadindu Bandopadhyay	Bengali	Tungabhadra	River	Bookland Private Ltd.	1965	Novel	A historical fiction constructed around the river Tungabhadra	By the Tungabhadra	Arunava Sinha
Ishwar Paatni	Chitta Singha	Bengali		River	Srijani	1976	Novel	A fiction based on Bharatchandra’s Annadamangal but here it’s an account of a boatman.	NA	NA
Jhinuker Pete Mukto	Bodhisotto Maitra	Bengali	Gulf of Mannar	Gulf	New Age Publishers, Kolkata (1998)	1978	Novel	A novel based on a Tamil fisher folk community in the Gulf of Mannar.	Tamil	Information Unavailable
Jomunar Tir	Mahasweta Devi	Bengali	Yamuna	River		1978	Short Story	The story is set in a village by the Yamuna River and explores the lives of women in the tribal community who face severe exploitation and oppression	Imaginary Maps (Part of the anthology)	Gayatri Cahkravorty Spivak
Gahin Gang	Sadhan Chattopadhyay	Bengali			Bhabna	1979		A novel on Malo community of Sundarbans who are known for fishing in the river and the Sea.
Mati aar Nei	Prafulla Roy	Bengali	Bay of Bengal	Gulf	Dey’s Publishing (1995)	1984	Novel	Nomadic fisherman tribes of Bay of Bengal living near the district 24 Parganas in West Bengal gets a portrayal in this novel.	NA	NA
Matsyagandha	Balaram Roy	Bengali	Gangasagar	Coast	New Bengal Press	1987	Novel	It is about the fisherfolk communities of Frezerganj. Most of the time these folks live in Jambudwip island for fishing.	NA	NA
Sasagara	Prafulla Roy	Bengali	Arabian Sea	Konkan coast	Ujjwal Sahitya Mandir (1993)	1989	Novel	A novel about Konkani fishermen near Western Ghats.	NA	NA
Ganga Ekti Nadir Naam	Shyamal Gangopadhyay	Bengali	Ganga	River	Unavailable	2001	Novel	It is a novel about how Ganga as a river plays an important role in creating a city like Kolkata. Everyday life in the city is centred upon the river.	Unavailable	Unavailable
Nadi Mati Aranya	Tapan Bandopadhyay	Bengali						Tapan Bandyopadhyay, a government employee spent many years working in the remote villages of the Sunderbans. He drew from his experiences to develop a three-volume 1,500-page novel Nadi Mati Aranya.
All Quiet in Vikaspuri	Sarnath Banerjee	English	Saraswati	River	Harper Collins India	2016	Graphic Fiction	A Homeric tale of a man’s journey to the centre of the earth in search of the mythical river Saraswati, this graphic novel is set against the fictitious yet ever-so-real Water Wars of Delhi. It is a dystopian landscape where neighbourhoods fight brutal battles against each other and even victory must end in defeat.	NA	NA
Badang the Strongman	Various folk narrators	Malay	Singapore River	River		Oral tradition, date uncertain	Folktale / Legendary narrative	Folklore about Badang, who gains supernatural strength from a spirit. Famous for throwing the Singapore Stone, the story symbolizes heroism and the mystical connection between humans and the environment, reflecting Malay cultural identity
Ellam Mazhkunna Kadal	C Radakrishnan	Malayalam	Nila	River	Mathrubhumi	1972	novel	It intricately weaves together themes of generational continuity and disruption, with the Nila river serving as a central, symbolic element.
Ente Puzha	Shreeman Narayanan	Malayalam	Undefined	River			novel	The novel ‘Enne Puzha’ is written by Sriman Narayan. The subject here is Periyar. It has living characters. But it is something that can be read like a flowing river. In any case, it will definitely be an exciting experience for those who love rivers and work for environmental protection.
Two and Half Rivers	Anirudh Kala	English	Rivers in the Punjab Region	River	Niyogi Books	2021	Novel	The name of the novel is a take on the region. Punjab, which means the land of five rivers, is only “half a Punjab” with just “two and a half rivers” left to it since the partition.
The River’s Song (re-entry for plays)	Kuo Pao Kun (river-based works)	English / Chinese	Singapore River	River		1990	Play	Kuo Pao Kun repeatedly used the Singapore River as a stage metaphor in his plays, linking river history and displacement. In bilingual productions, the river becomes a central image of erased livelihoods.
The River’s Song	Suchen Christine Lim	English	Singapore River (central: riverfront squatters, river clean-up history)	River		2013 / 2014 (various eds)	Novel	The River’s Song is explicitly river-centered: Lim reconstructs life around the Singapore River, dramatizing squatters, boatmen and riverside communities that were displaced during the state’s river-clean-up and urban redevelopment (1970s–1980s). The novel charts how modernisation and planning erase older livelihoods and social ties, foregrounding the river as both material ecology and social memory. It includes love stories, political awakenings, and generational conflicts as small communities confront eviction and the rhetoric of progress. For oceanic databases this is a key text because it places a named waterbody — the Singapore River — at the heart of its narrative and social critique.
Randipua Ananta	Fakir Mohan Senapati	Oriya	Bhargavi River	River	Friends Publishers, Cuttack	1913	Novel/ short story	how the village was saved from the devastating flood of the Bhargavi River through the courage and sacrifice of its titular hero, Ananta
Dweepa	N. Dsouza	Kannada	Sharavathi River	River	Kannada Saahithya Parishaththu (2004)	1978	Novella	The main theme of N.A. D’Souza’s novel Dweepa is the devastating impact of forced displacement on a family and their way of life, juxtaposed against the relentless and impersonal force of modern development.	Dweepa: Island	Sushila Punitha
When the River Sleeps	Easterine Kire	English	A river in Nagaland	River	Zubaan Books	2014	Novel	A lone hunter, Vilie, sets out to find the river of his dreams, a place from which he will be able to wrest a stone that will give him untold power. His is a dangerous quest – not only must he overcome unquiet spirits, vengeful sorceresses, and demons of the forest, but there are armed men on his trail as well.
The Inheritance of Loss	Kiran Desai	English	Teesta	River	Atlantic Monthly Press	2006	Novel	Desai includes also the image of the river; we first encounter it when Sai, the judge’s granddaughter, first arrives in Cho Oyu, and her first impression of the place links with her grandfather’s inner desires: (THERE ARE A FEW MORE EXTRACTS THAT REFERS TO RIVERS) “Suddenly to the right, the Teesta River came leaping at them between white banks of sand. Space and sun crashed through the window. Reflections magnified and echoed the light, the river, each adding angles and colors to the other, and Sai became aware of the enormous space she was entering. By the riverbank, wild water racing by, the late evening sun in polka dots through the trees, they parted company. To the east was Kalimpong, barely managing to stay on the saddle between the Deolo and the Ringkingpong hills. To the west was Darjeeling, skidding down the Singalila Mountains.”
Subarnarekha	Amar Mitra	Bengali	Subarnarekha	River	Karuna Prakashani	1983	Novel	The novel is about the life around the river Subarnarekha.
River of Stories	Orijit Sen	English	Narmada	River	Kalpavriksha	1994	Graphic Novel	The work, comprising 62 pages written and illustrated over three years by Orijit Sen, examines the environmental, social and political ramifications of the construction of the Narmada dam. Two parallel narratives run through the book. The first follows a journalist from Delhi called Vishnu who visits Ballanpur to record the reactions of the locals and of the protestors. The second follows the birth of the river Narmada, which is known locally as Rewa.
Rivers of India	Sunil Vaidyanatha and Shayoni Mitra	English	Various	River	Niyogi Books	2011	Nonfiction	Rivers of India is a pictorial journey that delves into the symbiosis between India’s major rivers and the people who live along them and their intimate link with myth, belief and religion. Along with the narrative of the rivers are interesting asides looking at marvels of engineering, cultural and recreational events, as well as the deep-rooted symbolic relevance of the river in Indian music, art, religion and literature.
Red River Rising	Husna	English	Periyar	River	Locksley Hall Publishing	2022	Novel	Set amidst the devastating Kerala floods of 2018, Red River Rising explores the social, psychological, environmental and political impact the river has on its unsuspecting protagonists amidst nature’s fury.
Ormayude Arakal	Vaikom Muhammad Basheer	Malayam	Moovattupuzha	River	National Book Stall	1973	Collection of memoirs	Basheer has written about the floods that used to visit the Moovattupuzha river twice a year in this collection of memoirs
On a River’s Bank: A Novel (Punalum Manalum)	A Madhavan	Tamil	Karmana River	River	Natrinai Pathippagam	1974	Novel	On a River’s Bank is a story of ordinary people through an extraordinary narrative. In what must be a rare and sensitive portrayal of an ugly female character, the author underlines that violation of the river leaves it ugly and invites retribution despite worship. Published originally in 1974 in Tamil, Punalum Manalum is a path-breaking novel raising the issue of environmental degradation through over-exploitation, long before this became a topic of discussion in India. An early example of what is now known as ‘Eco fiction’.	On a River’s Bank: A Novel	M. Vijayalakshmi
Dhaleswari Naditire	Tarapada Roy	Bengali	Dhaleshwari	River	Mitra o Ghosh	1999	Novel
Tatvamasi	Dhruv Bhatt	Gujarati	Narmada	River	‘—	1998	Novel	Tribal Life, Spiritual Awakening, Nature as a Catalyst for Transformation	Yes	Anjani Naravane
Jaldivda!	Dhumketu	Gujarati		River	Gurjar Granthratna Karyalay, Ahmedabad.	1953	Short Story	‘—	Maybe
Kalisagar ne Kathde	Jhaverchand Meghani	Gujarati		Lake	From the collection “Niranjana”. Publisher: Chandrakant Jivanlal Mehta, Ahmedabad.	1944	Short Story	‘—	No	‘—
Swami Malya!	Jhaverchand Meghani	Gujarati	Ganga	River	From Kurbanini Kathao. 1942	1940	Short Story	Life and Death, Mortality and Reflection, Love and Loss	Maybe	‘—
Paras-Mani	Jhaverchand Meghani	Gujarati	Yamuna	River	From Kurbanini Kathao. 1942	1940	Short Story	Sadness and Sorrow, Hope	Maybe	‘—
Karna nu Balidan	Jhaverchand Meghani	Gujarati	Ganga	River	From Kurbanini Kathao. 1942	1940	Short Drama	Mythology	Maybe	‘—
Fulnu Mul	Jhaverchand Meghani	Gujarati		Lake	From Kurbanini Kathao. 1942	1940	Short Story	Religious Devotion	Maybe	‘—
Sacho Brahman	Jhaverchand Meghani	Gujarati	Sarasvati	River	From Kurbanini Kathao. 1942	1940	Short Story	‘—	Maybe	‘—
Raniji na Vilas	Jhaverchand Meghani	Gujarati	Varuni	River	From Kurbanini Kathao. 1942	1940	Short Story	‘—	Maybe	‘—
Champraj Valo	Jhaverchand Meghani	Gujarati		River	From the first volume of Saurashtrani Rasdhar	1923	Short Story	‘—	Maybe	‘—
Suhini-Mehar	Jhaverchand Meghani	Gujarati	Indus	River	From the fifth volume of Saurashtrani Rasdhar	1927	Short Story	‘—	Maybe	‘—
Saundarya Ni Nadi Narmada	Amrutlal Vegad	Gujarati	Narmada	River	‘—	2001	Travelogue	‘—	Maybe	‘—
Tire Tire Narmada	Amrutlal Vegad	Gujarati	Narmada	River	‘—	2011	Travelogue	‘—	Maybe	‘—
Parikrama Narmada Maiyani	Amrutlal Vegad	Gujarati	Narmada	River	‘—	1994	Travelogue	‘—	Maybe	‘—
Nadigan	Pravin G. Darji	Gujarati		River	‘—	2016	Collection of Essays	‘—	No	‘—
Shetrunji na Kaanthe	Jhaverchand Meghani		Shetrunji	River	From 5th volume of Saurashtra ni Rasdhar	1927	Short Story	Love and Friendship, Conflict between Desire and Social Norms, Nature and Human Life
Alamayer’s Folly:A Story of an Eastern	Joseph Conrad	English	Fictional river Sambir, based on the Berau River in Borneo.	River	T. Fisher Unwin	1895	Novel	Almayer’s Folly is about the character Almayer, a European trader who marries a Malay woman and dreams of wealth through gold mining in the Pantai region, His story is also intertwined with his daughter, Nina, who’s educated in Singapore, and struggles with her identity.
An Outcast of the Islands	Joseph Conrad	English	Fictional river Sambir, based on the Berau River in Borneo.	River	T. Fisher Unwin	1896	Novel	The novel details the moral and social undoing of Peter Willems, a conceited and shallow dutchman working as a confidential clerk, who is a self important and dishonest clerk working in the port city of Macassar. After his embezzelement is exposed, he is rescused by his old benefactor- Captain Tom Lingard, who sends him to manage a trading post on the Panteir River in Borneo. Willems struggles with isolation. He becomes attracted to Aissa, the daughter of a local chieftain. Driven by his lust and desperation, he betrays Lingard’s trust by revealing the secret river channel to the rival Arab trader- Syed Abdulla. This act destroys Lingard’s fate, he is cut off from the European world, abandoned by his patron, and trapped in the river settlement.
Ekti Jaler Rekha	Atin Bandopadhyay	Bengali	Meghna	River	Chirantani Prakash Bhaban	1956	Novel	It is an adventure novel where three young boys take a boat towards Meghna for fishing. The ecology of the riverside is shown in detail.
Gahin Gang	Sadhan Chattopadhyay	Bengali	Betna	River	Prantik (Sharadiya Sankhya)	1979	Novel	A novel about the fisherfolk community called “Maalo” living around the Sundarbans.
Ganga	Samaresh Basu	Bengali	The Ganges	River	Mousumi Prakashani, 1974	1957	Novel	Story of the pre-partition Bengal’s fisherman community named “Malo Machhmara”. It depicts the unpredictable lives of the fisherman community. Death is an everyday affair. The ending of the novel is open where the protagonist leaves home for the sea.	NA	NA
Ganga Ekti Nadir Naam	Shyamal Gangopadhyay	Bengali	The Ganges	River	Mitra o Ghosh	2001	Novel	The novel depicts the struggle of the fisherfolk who risk their lives for fishing in the Ganges and its estuary near the Bay of Bengal.
Maajher Char	Sanam Sanki Das	Assamese	Tipkai River	River	Bandhav	2023	Novel	Maajher depicts the ethical tensions of a char boatman who gets lured by neoliberal elements only to realise, at the end, that he has walked up the wrong alley.
Mahananda	Narayan Gangopadhyay	Bengali	Mahananda	River	G. S. Library	1953	Novel	The Bengal famine of 1943.		NA
Mahuldiha Days	Anita Agnihotri	English	Brahmani River	Bengal Delta	Zubaan	2018	Novel	Set in the forests of northern Odisha, Mahuldia Days is the moving story of a young civil servant caught between her commitment to the tribal communities she knows are the original inhabitants of the forest, and the monolithic state, oblivious to the diverse realities of life on the ground. The moonlit Brahmani River snakes through the story with a life of its own while the city of the narrator’s childhood returns to her in dreams. Agnihotri creates a poignant, intense narrative layered with an awareness of the pressures of motherhood and personal love.
Mayurakshi	Saroj Kumar Roy Choudhury	Bengali	Mayurakshi	River	Vidyoday Library Pr Ltd.	1957	Novel	Life around Mayurakshi River
Ponniyin Selvan (1)	Kalki Krishnamurthy	Tamil	Cauvery	River	Mangala Noolagam	1955	Novel	Ponniyin Selvan is a political saga that is set on the banks of river Cauvery. Ponniyin Selvan is a fictional work that draws from actual historical events and characters in the tenth century during Chola rule.	Ponni’s Beloved	Sumeetha Manikandan
Ponniyin Selvan (2)	Kalki Krishnamurthy	Tamil	Cauvery	River	Mangala Noolagam	1955	Novel	Sequel to the previous novel.	Troubled Waters (Book 2)	Nandini Krishnan
Ganga Prabahini	Gunamoy Manna	Bengali	The Ganges	River	Ekush Satak	2006	Novel	A novel based on the gangetic river belt.
Godavari Tales	Syamala	Telugu	Godavari	River delta	Alakananda Prachurunalu	2003	Collection of Short Stories	This volume contains an interesting mix of folk tales, myths and legends, some of which could be considered a blend of both history and folk legend. Stories of Dokka Sitamma, Alluri Sita Ram Raju and Bhadrachalam Ramadasu are a few such.	Nil
Godavari Gadhalu	Phani Kumar	Telugu	Godavari	River delta	Alakananda Prachurunalu	2011	Collection of Short Stories		nil
Godavari Kathalu	BVS Ramarao	Telugu	Godavari	River delta	Sri Sri Printers	1989	Collection of Short Stories
Amravathi Kathalu	Stayam Sankaramanchi	Telugu	Amravati	River delta	Palpitta Books	1975-77	Collection of Short Stories	A similar novel to Hemmingway’s Old Man and the Sea.	nil
Yanam Kathalu	Datla Devadanam Raju	Telugu	Yanam Delta	River delta connected to Bay of Bengal	Sireesha Prachuranal	2012	Collection of Short Stories	Yanam Kathalu’ is a compilation of 18 short stories. Yanam is a small town located over the banks of Godavari in the district of East Godavari and it used to be a former French colony which became a part of Pondicherry. However, linguistically and culturally Yanam remains a part of Godavari region.	nil
Kathala Godari	Datla Devadanam Raju	Telugu	Godavari	Godavari Delta	Sahiti Prachuranal	2018	Collection of Short Stories	These are lively stories written by King Devadanam of Datla, who traveled to the shores of Yanam on the Godavari River, greeted various people, and explored their inner selves.	nil
Ma Digvu Godavari Kathalu	Vamsi	Telugu	Godavari	Godavari Delta	Navodaya Book House	2016	Collection of Short Stories	It is a collection of stories that reflect the lives, habits and customs of the people of the Lower Godavari region. In this book, Vamsi has described the life style of the people of the Godavari coastal areas and their hardships.	nil
Toofanu/Toopanu	Adavi Bapiraju	Telugu	Godavari	Godavari Delta	Telugujaathi Trust	1945	Novel
Jagamunelina Telugu Godavari Nundi Jaavaa Daaka	DP Anuradha	Telugu	Godavari	Godavari Delta	Telugujaathi (Trust)	2021	Novel	This book explores the Telugu roots in Southeast Asia.
Oka Vaipu Samudram (Kanada)	Vivek Shanbaag	Telugu	Northern Karnataka Delta	River delta	Chaaya Publications	2007	Novel	The Northern Karnataka sees many rivers flowing through it, joining the vast, open sea. From a distance, it looks like a peaceful and harmonious union; go closer and one can see the chaos that ensues. As are the lives of the people who live here, constantly battling changes every day.	Ondu Badi Kadalu (Telugu Title)	Ranganatha Ramchandra Rao
Chila Vishuddha Janmangalude Visheshangal	C Ashraf	Malayalam	Ponani River	Coastal Kerala	Manorama		novel	The novel that won the Edassery Award in 2002. A thematic web where the Ponnani river and the coastal village flow as the two sides of life. A diving hole through the chemistry of love. A sacrificial journey through the iron rails of love. The details of countless holy lives that every grain of sand at the mouth of the estuary confesses.
Obamayum Moonnu Aamakalum	C Ashraf	Malayalam	Bharathapuzha River	Coastal Kerala	Manorama	2021	novel
Orotha	Kakkanadan GV	Malayalam	Meenachi River		Sankeerthanam Publishers Kollam	2002	novel	The woman who floated down the Meenachi River during the flood of 1999. She was sad. She was strong. Orotha was love and sacrifice. The story of Chemperi’s rise began with Orotha. The story of how light spread in Chemperi, where wild animals roamed the banks of the river, under the blanket of fog, at the foot of the mountains.
Rayya of the River	Jabbour Douaihy	Arabic	Lebanese river systems, inland waterways		Lebanon: Dar Al Saqi	2015	Novel	Novel focusing on Lebanese river systems and inland waterways, expanding oceanic fiction to include freshwater bodies in Lebanese landscape. The work explores how characters’ relationships with rivers and streams reflect broader themes of identity, belonging, and environmental connection in Lebanon. Douaihy demonstrates how water bodies beyond the Mediterranean, including Lebanon’s important river systems which serve as crucial elements in Lebanese literary imagination. The novel connects inland water themes to broader oceanic sensibilities, showing how all water bodies in Lebanon eventually flow toward the Mediterranean, creating unified hydraulic and cultural systems.
Homegoing	Yaa Gyasi	English	Lake Victoria	Ocean	Alfred A. Knopf	2016	Novel	Gyasi’s Homegoing is set in the Gold Coast/ Ghana, and America, from the 19th to the 21st century. The novel traces the life stories of two sisters, Effia and Esi, daughters of Maame, separated by the slave trade. Esi, captured and sold to the English slave traders, is transported to America where she and her descendants live in slavery. On the other hand, Effia who remains home in Fanteland, Gold Coast, is married to James Collins, a slave trader. As Wardi (2011) points out, “In African American literature, recovery of the past is frequently coterminous with a literal or symbolic return to the original waters of the Atlantic Ocean”. In Gyasi’s Homegoing, for Marjorie and Marcus, coming home means coming home to the sea of Gold Coast, now, Ghana which marks the point of departure. Marcus’s trauma, his phobic dread of water, like Marjorie’s trauma, which is a fear of fire (a generational trauma/ or curse on her ancestors for their role in the slave trade), is on account of the memory of the Middle Passage which the sight of the sea waves evokes in him. As Marcus encounters the water, “his illusion of his mental connection with his ancestors make him become them, sharing their fears, particularly the fear of water associated with the original ancestor, Esi, and her experiences of the Middle Passage” (Motahane et al., 2020, p. 23). The sight of the current not only evokes the memory of the Middle Passage; as well, it reminds him of what the water is made of: the bones and dead bodies of his ancestors—’ the five percent of the human cargo who died in crossing that took three weeks, the quarter who died in crossing that took three months’. “Instead of using water and the ocean solely as a metaphorical site of trauma and erasure, Gyasi puts much emphasis on healing.”
My Sister, the Serial Killer	Oyinkan Braithwaite	English	Goose river(Virginia) geographically and historically alligned with the James River which lows into the Chesapeake Bay and ultimately the Atlantic Ocean.	Ocean	Doubleday Books	2018	Novel	This darkly comic Nigerian thriller is set in Lagos, where the Atlantic Ocean provides crucial scenes throughout the narrative. The protagonist Korede works as a nurse while covering up her beautiful sister Ayoola’s habit of killing boyfriends. The ocean appears in pivotal moments, including scenes at Lagos beaches where characters meet, romance develops, and danger lurks. The Atlantic’s presence in Lagos shapes the urban landscape that the sisters navigate, with coastal neighborhoods and beach resorts serving as settings for both murders and attempted murders. One particularly significant sequence involves characters on a boat on the Lagos lagoon connected to the Atlantic, where Korede must prevent another killing. The ocean represents both romance and danger, beauty and death mirroring the sisters’ relationship and Ayoola’s deadly charm. The novel’s noir atmosphere incorporates Lagos’s coastal geography, with the Atlantic serving as both playground for the wealthy and potential disposal site for bodies, though Korede typically cleans crime scenes before such measures become necessary.
Putri Junjung Buih: The Princess Born From The Sea	Multiple authors(includes Edy Sumarto Kho and Leslie Ann Fronda)	English	Tabalong River		Bhuana Ilmu Populer.	June 1, 2017	Follklore series	This book retells a traditional legend from South Kalimantan, Indonesia. It tells the story of Putri Junjung Buih, a princess who magically rises from the shimmering waters of the Tabalong River. As an adult, she brings peace to her kingdom but faces a tragedy when two princes fall in love with her. The princess eventually unites kingdoms with a wise prince from Majapahit, highlighting themes of patience and compassion. The story celebrates traditional Indonesian folklore for a young audience.
The Watermelon Boys	Ruqayya Izzidien	English	Tigris River, Mesopotamian waterways		Hoopoe Fiction	2018	Historical Fiction	Historical novel set during WWI (1915-1920) following Ahmad, Baghdadi watermelon seller, and his family during British occupation. The ‘watermelon boys’ are Ahmad’s sons who work as boatmen on Tigris River, selling fruit up and down waterway. Extensively features river scenes, water transportation, and role of Mesopotamian waterways in daily life and commerce.	N/A – Originally written in English
Once Upon a River	Diane Setterfield	English
The Yellow Streak	W. Somerset Maugham	English	Tidal Bore, River				Short Story	A maritime tale of two British men caught in a tidal bore (a strong tidal wave), a classic oceanic hazard.
Matsyagandha	Vasant Kanetkar	Marathi	Ganga River	River	Popular Prakashan	1964	Musical Drama		The Woman with the Fragrance of Fish	N/A
Hodi Geet	Various writers	Marathi	The Sea	River / Sea	Orally Trasnmitted	2018	Folk Poetry	Hodi Geet (2018), orally transmitted boat songs, accompany the rhythms of rowing and reflect the lives and labor of fishing communities along the sea and rivers.	Boat Song	Various
Yamuna Paryatan	Baba Padmanji	Marathi	Yamuna River	River	Snehavardhan Publishing House	1857	Novel	Yamuna Paryatan (1857) by Baba Padmanji is a pioneering Marathi novel set along the Yamuna River. Translated as Yamuna’s Journey by Deepra Dandekar, it follows the spiritual and emotional journey of its protagonist, reflecting the river’s enduring significance in Indian life.	Yamuna’s journey	Deepra Dandekar
Tumbadche Khot	Shripad Narayan Pendse	Marathi	Jagbudi River	Coastal River	Continental Prakashan	1987	Novel	Tumbadche Khot (1987) by Shripad Narayan Pendse is a Marathi novel set in the coastal Konkan region. The story revolves around the Khot system, detailing the exploitative landlord-tenant relationships of the time. With the Jagbudi River as a backdrop, it depicts the socio-economic realities of rural life. The work is considered one of the author’s most significant contributions to the literature of the region.	The Khots of Tumbad
The Sea-gulls	N. Shivdas	Konkani	Arabian Sea / Mandovi River	River	Ishtagath Prakashan	1981	Short Story	As a popular novel of its time, the book features a character-driven plot set against the backdrop of university politics and social unrest. The story uses the academic landscape to frame a narrative about personal integrity, caste oppression, and the courage to rebel against communal fundamentalism.	The Sea-gulls	Datta S. Naik.
Saim Dev	Mahabaleshwar Sail	Konkani	Kali River	River	Bimb Prakashan	2015	Novel	As a children’s novel of its time, the book features a character-driven plot set against the backdrop of rural village life along the banks of the Kali River in coastal Karnataka. The story uses the natural world to frame a narrative about resilience, tradition, and the bonds that hold a close-knit society together.	The God of Nature	N/A
Puran	Dr. Prakash S. Parienkar	Konkani	Mhadayi River	River Basin / Stream	Sanjana Publications	2022	Novel	As a critically acclaimed novel of its time, the book features a character-driven plot set against the backdrop of Goa’s rural Sattari region along the banks of the Mhadei River. The story uses the rhythms of village life and nature to frame a narrative about caste dynamics, environmental preservation, and the struggle for humanity and justice	The Legend	N/A
Mandovi! Tum Aattlis?	Laxmanrao Sardessai	Konkani (Devanagari script)	Tidal River / Estuary	Mandovi River	Published locally in Goa	1947	Novel	As the only published novel of its time (1947), the book features a plot set against the backdrop of the Mandovi River. The story uses the river, which merges into the Indian Ocean in Goa itself—to frame a narrative about the cultural and political puzzles of Goan life prevalent in those times.	Mandovi, Do You Remember?	N/A
Ferry Crossing: Short Stories from Goa	Ed. Manohar Shetty	Konkani /Marathi/ Portuguese	Arabian Sea/Mandovi River/ Zuari River	Ocean/River	Penguin India	1998	Regional anthology (Short Stories)	As an anthology of its time, the book features twenty-seven short stories set against the backdrop of Goa, a beautiful land by the sea. The collection uses the ferry crossing as a metaphor to frame narratives about a Goa infinitely more human and complex than the stereotypical image of an enormous beach resort, with themes ranging from the touching naivete of first love to the humiliation of poverty and the startling brutality inherent in everyday lives	N/A	Vidya Pai, Sacheen Pai Raikar and Heta Pandit, among others
Shettkachem Humman	Shantan Sukhtankar	Konkani (Devanagari script)	Goa	Coastal/Riverine	Fundação Oriente	2013	Short Story	Shettkachem Humman is a historical short story that blends fiction with elements of Goa’s colonial past. The story centers on a father’s deep love for his son. When his son longs to eat humman (a traditional fish curry made with shetka fish), the father risks danger and crosses flooded waters after a bridge has been destroyed. Against a backdrop of conflict involving the Portuguese colonizers, the narrative highlights how parental love, compassion, and human bonds can transcend violence and hatred.	The Humman of Shetka	Antara Bhide
Acchev	Pundalik Narayan Naik	Konkani	Mandovi River	River	Jaag Prakashan	1977	Novel	Acchev (1977) by Pundalik Naik, translated as The Upheaval, is set in the village of Kolamba on the Mandovi River. It chronicles the destruction of a traditional rural community by rampant mining and modernization after Goa’s liberation. As the first Konkani novel translated into English (by Vidya Pai), it is a landmark work.	The Upheavel	Vidya Pai
Kali Ganga	Mahabaleshwar Sail	Konkani	Kali River	River	National Book Trust, India	1996	Novel	Kali Ganga (1996) by Mahabaleshwar Sail, translated by Vidya Pai, follows young Suman growing up in a village on the Kali River. The novel vividly depicts rural life, farming communities, and the river’s varying moods, while exploring how natural disasters and human selfishness impact the family	Kali Ganga	Vidya Pai
Hawthan	Mahabaleshwar Sail	Konkani	Mhajale Lake	Lake / River	Bimb Prakashan	2009	Novel	This heart-wrenching novel chronicles the struggle for survival of a dwindling community of traditional potters in Goa, set along a lake by the Mhadei River. As globalization and modernization encroach, their ancient craft and way of life face extinction. The work was honored with the prestigious Saraswati Samman.	The Kiln	Vidya Pai
Varsal	Prakash Parienkar	Konkani	Mhadei River	River	Niyogi Books	2025	Short Story	Winner of the 2023 Sahitya Akademi Award, this short story collection explores the lives of villagers in the Sattari forest region along the Mhadei River. The narratives depict the community’s deep bond with the riverine ecosystem, their daily struggles, and their resilience against nature’s fury.	The Bitter-Fruit Tree and Other Stories	Vidya Pai.
Taranga	Mahabaleshwar Sail	Konkani	Kali River & Arabian Sea	River / Sea	Jaag Prakashan	1991	Short Story Collection	This 1991 collection of short stories by a celebrated Konkani author captures the essence of life along the Kali River and the Arabian Sea. The narratives explore the deep connection between coastal communities and the waters that sustain them, weaving together themes of tradition, livelihood, and nature’s rhythms.	Waves	N/A
Paltadche Taru	Mahabaleshwar Sail	Konkani (Devanagari script)	Kali River/Zuari River	Riverine Basin	Jaag Prakashan.	1989	Short Story	This 1989 Konkani short story by a noted author explores life along the riverine basins of Goa, capturing the rhythms of communities dependent on waterways. The narrative reflects on themes of connection and transition, portraying the river as a vital force in coastal Goan life.	The Boat on the Other Shore	N/A
Adrusht	Mahabaleshwar Sail	Konkani	River Crossing Estuary	River	N/A	1997	Novella	This 1997 Konkani novella is set in the rugged forests of the Western Ghats along a river crossing estuary. It tells the story of a forest guard whose solitary life changes when he encounters a mentally unstable woman, weaving themes of human connection and the delicate balance between man and nature	The Unseen	N/A
Loretta	Pundalik Narayan Naik	Konkani	Unnamed River Island in Goa	River Island / Riverine Estuary	N/A	2016	Drama	Loretta, a Konkani drama set on a river island in Goa, captures the rhythms of riverine life in the 1970s. Blending music, comedy, satire, and emotion, the play explores the lives of its characters against the backdrop of a community shaped by the surrounding waters, reflecting the region’s coastal culture.	Loretta	N/A
Naaov	Father Prashant Madtha	Konkani	Unnamed Local Waterways	River / Sea	Amar Konkani	20th century	Novel	Naaov, a Konkani novel by Father Prashant Madtha, is set along the local waterways that connect river and sea. The narrative explores the lives of communities dependent on these waters, using the boat as a powerful metaphor for life’s journey, transitions, and the deep bond between people and their aquatic environment.	The Boat	N/A
Huvanr	Datta Nayak	Konkani	Unnamed Local River / Estuary Channe	River	Amar Konkani	N/A	Novel	Huvanr, a Konkani novel by Datta Nayak, depicts a community’s struggle for survival along a river and its coastal floodplain. The narrative captures the devastating impact of floods on the lives of those dependent on the waterways, exploring themes of resilience, displacement, and the fragile relationship between people and nature.	The Deluge	N/A
Chila Vishuddha Janmangalude Visheshangal [lit. Chronicles of Sacred Lives]	C Ashraf	Malayalam	Ponnani River	Coastal Kerala	DC Books	2005	Novel	The novel won the Edassery Award in 2002. The narrative is set against the backdrop of the Ponnani estuary (Azhimukham). The river and the coastal village act as dual landscapes of human life, filled with complex relationships and the struggles of existence.
Obamayum Moonnu Aamakalum (River) [lit. Obama and Three Turtles]	C Ashraf	Malayalam	Bharathapuzha River	River	Manorama	2021	Novel	Follows the fantastical journey of three turtles from the banks of the Bharathapuzha River as they set out to meet Barack Obama, using magical realism to explore themes of ecology, coexistence, race, and humanity.
Manalaazham (River) [lit. Depths of Sand]	Hari Kurissery	Malayalam	Kallada River	River	Sahitya Pravarthaka Co-operative Society	2015	Novel	The Novel tells the story of an environmental activist. A teacher, Sachidanandan, leads an environmental protection movement at Mannida. He tries petitions, criticisms, prayers, protests, naxalism, guerrilla warfare, and even Gandhism to stop the extraction of sand from the Kallada River.
Vanchi (River) [lit. Canoe]	Zacharia	Malayalam		River	DC Books	2002	Short Story	A ghost mistakes a quiet boat carrying a pregnant woman and a man for a symbol of love, only to witness a shocking act of violence that shatters its faith in humanity.