Westland Books has announced the publication of Grief Burns Like Fever, a new novel by writer, poet and publisher Minakshi Thakur. To be released under the Tranquebar imprint on August 6, 2026, the book revisits the emotional landscape of Delhi during the devastating second wave of COVID-19, weaving together stories of loss, hope and resilience.
Set during the city’s harsh lockdown, the novel follows a diverse cast of characters whose lives become intertwined by circumstances beyond their control. An ambulance driver transporting bodies from hospitals to crematoria, a nurse working in a government hospital, an orphaned boy struggling to survive after losing his mother, and women confronting fractured relationships and long-buried emotional wounds all find themselves navigating grief in different ways. Their individual journeys come together to form a moving portrait of a city living through one of its darkest chapters.
Rather than focusing solely on the scale of the tragedy, Grief Burns Like Fever examines the quiet moments of humanity that emerged during the crisis. Through stories of ordinary people, the novel reflects on love, longing, compassion and the resilience that sustained lives when uncertainty became the new normal.
Sharing the inspiration behind the novel, Minakshi Thakur said writing during the second wave became a way of coping with the isolation of lockdown and the constant stream of personal losses. She added that several episodes in the book are drawn from real-life incidents, making the novel both a work of fiction and a reflection of a collective experience that changed lives irrevocably.
The book has already earned praise from literary voices. Author Khalid Jawed describes it as an atmospheric novel that blends realism, surrealism and documentary elements to capture a world shaped by fear while still offering glimpses of hope. Author and screenwriter Anu Singh calls it a deeply affecting narrative that treats the pandemic not merely as a setting but as a force that transforms bodies, relationships and everyday life.
Minakshi Thakur writes poetry and fiction in both English and Hindi. Her Hindi poetry collection Neend ka Akhiri Pul was shortlisted for the Sahitya Akademi Young Writer’s Prize, while her debut English novel, Lovers Like You and I, was shortlisted for the Tibor Jones South Asia Prize. She currently heads Ekadā, Westland Books’ imprint dedicated to original writing and translations across English and several Indian languages.
Grief Burns Like Fever is available for pre-order on Amazon from July 24, 2026, and will be released through major online and offline bookstores on August 6, 2026. A deeply empathetic literary work, the novel offers readers an intimate reminder of the lives, losses and acts of kindness that defined an unforgettable moment in recent history.
