How to Date a Fanatic - A Novel

In this compassionate and poignant novel set in contemporary India, a young professor searches for connection and love during a time of political and cultural upheaval. In 2014, as religious extremism rises precipitously across India, Rohit returns to Delhi University to teach English literature and gets caught in a web of unrequited love with his charismatic friend Dhruv. To alleviate his inevitable heartbreak, Rohit seeks relationships with other men on campus, until he meets the effervescent Sayan, a second-year literature student he hopes will make him forget the love he cannot have. Struggling with his deep feelings for Dhruv, Rohit embarks on a delicate new romance. But his life soon becomes more complicated as the political tensions gripping the nation erupt on campus, sparking a turbulent student-led movement that entangles Rohit when Dhruv joins the fray, a tipping point that alters Rohit''s life forever. Set against the vibrant and volatile tapestry of modern India, he and his friends must learn to navigate the challenges and triumphs of queer life to survive in an unpredictable political landscape. Propulsive, tense, and charged with humor and tenderness, How to Date a Fanatic is a powerful exploration of identity, connection, and the enduring hope for a better future in a rapidly changing world.

About the author

Aruni Kashyap is an acclaimed author and translator of several novels and poetry collections and has received awards and fellowships from Harvard, NEA, and more. His work has appeared in CNN, ELLE, India Today, The New Indian Express, and other publications. He is an associate professor and director of the Creative Writing Program at the University of Georgia.

Product details

• Authors: Aruni Kashyap
• Publisher: Harper Collins Usa
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Release: 14.07.2026
• EAN: 9780063443785
• ISBN: 978-0-06-344378-5
• No. of pages: 368
• Dimensions: 152 mm x 229 mm x 21 mm
• Subjects: Fiction > Narrative literature; Narrative theme: Coming of age, Narrative theme: Politics, Relating to gay people, FICTION: Literary, FICTION: Sagas, FICTION: Coming of Age, FICTION: Political, FICTION: Cultural Heritage, FICTION: Friendship, FICTION: LGBTQ+ / Gay, FICTION: World Literature / India / 21st Century, Saga fiction (family / generational sagas), Modern and contemporary fiction: general and literary, FICTION: Diversity & Multicultural, FICTION: Asian American & Pacific Islander