Spectacular literary debuts of 2018 you shouldn't miss

From tree-loving scientists to enchanting mermaids, psychotic women to worried mothers -- 2018 saw a great number of new narrative prowess from some spectacular new writers. Whether fiction or not, these writers surely know how to put words into paper effortlessly, creating a profound depth and some poetic magic. Let's take a look at some of the most brilliant debut works by authors in 2018 that shone bright in the literary calendar all year!

Deemed as one of the greatest debuts of the decade, Shubhangi Swarup's 'Latitudes of Longing' was also shortlisted for the JCB Prize for Literature in 2018. The story is a detailed tale of ecological and geological exploration and imagination. Called by Jeet Thayil as "intense, lyrical, and powerful", Swarup's book follows a scientist who studies trees, and his profound and extraordinary adventure through the many waves of life.

Image: HarperCollins

Shobha Rao's brilliant and heart-breaking debut follows Poornima and Savitha, two destitute girls who strike up a strong friendship and are inseparable until Savitha suffers a traumatic rape and runs away. The book shows the reality of rural India, of small minds, suffocating expectations and how a woman's worth is measured. Enticingly written, Shobha Rao's writing draws one into the narrative like magic.

Image: Hachette

Another stellar debut, R.O. Kwon's 'The Incendiaries' is a hauntingly powerful tale of love, loss and faith. The story follows Pheobe and Will, students who get entangled into deluded versions of their faith and love. When Pheobe joins a cult which bombs several people, Pheobe disappears and Will makes it his obsession to find her. A peculiar love story with a profound subtext, 'The Incendiaries' is a brilliant book that highlights religious dogmatism.

Image: Penguin Random House

This spectacular debut work of fiction establishes Grower as one of the best voices of literary fiction internationally. Set in 1785, the story follows merchant Jonah Hancock, who, one day finds his ship sold for a mermaid. Now everyone wants to meet Hancock's new mermaid and consequently, as he becomes a member of the elites, he meets the enchanting Angelica Neal -- a meeting that steers both their lives onto a dangerous new course.

Image: Penguin Random House

Nazia Erum's debut book 'Mothering a Muslim: The Dark Secret in Our Schools and Playgrounds' is an important work that discusses systematic communal othering and bullying carried out in classrooms, playgrounds and friend circles. Nazia's book is a meticulous study of the growing tension among young, impressionable students that is going unchecked, ignored. The book is also a detailed and accurate study of juvenile aggression.

Image: Juggernaut

24-year-old Nigerian-American author Tomi Adeyemi became an instant New York Times #1 bestseller moments after her debut novel hit the stores this year. Titled 'The Children of Blood and Bone', Adeyemi’s book is a delightful and mesmerizing adventure of a young black girl and her magical tribe. Drawing comparisons from Black Panther to Harry Potter, Adeyemi’s powerful fantasy fiction follows Zélie, a fisherman’s daughter, and her unlikely band of cronies who embark upon a quest to reawaken the magic of her tribe in the country of Orïsha, which has been described as “an allegory for the modern black experience”.

Image: Pan Macmillan

Nazia Erum's debut book 'Mothering a Muslim: The Dark Secret in Our Schools and Playgrounds' is an important work that discusses systematic communal othering and bullying carried out in classrooms, playgrounds and friend circles. Nazia's book is a meticulous study of the growing tension among young, impressionable students that is going unchecked, ignored. The book is also a detailed and accurate study of juvenile aggression.

Image: Juggernaut

The two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks tried his hands in fiction for the first time, and yet again, emerged a glorious winner. 'Uncommon Type' is a collection of 17 wonderful short stories that are whimsical, moving and occasionally melancholic. With several relatable characters and fantastic narrative skills, Hanks delightfully surprises his fans. 'Uncommon Type' establishes him as a strong voice in contemporary fiction, candidly funny and charming.

Image: Penguin Random House; Reuters

‘Paradise Tower’ established Shweta Bachchan Nanda as one of the starry names in Indian literature. Hailing from one of the most influential families in the Hindi film industry, Shweta chose to refrain from referring to her family in her book and wrote a delightful tale about a building in Mumbai with different people from different communities, presenting a spectrum of culture as intoxicating as the city of Bombay.

Image: HarperCollins India