Sangu Mandanna
British author (born c. 1987)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sangu Mandanna (born 1987 or 1988) is a British–Indian author of adult, young adult, and middle grade fiction. She is best known for her fantasy romance novels The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches (2022) and A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping (2025).[1]
- The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches
- A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping
Sangu Mandanna | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1987/1988 (age 37–38) Bengaluru, India |
| Education | Lancaster University |
| Years active | 2012–present |
| Notable work |
|
| Website | sangumandanna |
Early life and education
Mandanna was born in 1987 or 1988[2] and raised in Bengaluru, India.[3] At 18 she moved to England to attend Lancaster University, where she studied English literature and creative writing before graduating in 2010.[4]
Career
In 2012, Mandanna's debut novel The Lost Girl, a young adult dystopia,[5] was published through Balzer & Bray.[6] Mandanna's subsequent novels for young adults include The Celestial Trilogy, a sci-fi retelling of the Mahabharata, which began with the publication of A Spark Of White Fire through Sky Pony press in 2018.[7] The subsequent novels, A House of Rage and Sorrow and A War of Swallowed Stars, were published in 2019 and 2021.[2] In 2019, Mandanna edited Color Outside the Lines, a young-adult anthology about teenagers in interracial relationships.[8] In 2025, Mandanna published the young adult novel Vanya and the Wild Hunt, which describes a neurodiverse pre-teen who finds comfort with creatures from Southeast Asian mythology.[9] Publishers Weekly commended the book's "nuanced depictions of neurodivergent characters and how they move within a magical society", but described the plot as "somewhat rushed and predictable".[10]
In 2021, Mandanna published her first novel in the Kiki Kallira middle grade fantasy series, Kiki Kallira Breaks a Kingdom. She followed it with Kiki Kallira Conquers a Curse the subsequent year. Like some of Mandanna's other work, the series incorporates Southeast Asian mythology and discusses neurodiversity; the main character, Kiki, is coping with obsessive–compulsive disorder and anxiety, and explores a world inspired by Indian mythology.[11][12] In 2025, Mandanna published her first graphic novel, illustrated by Pablo Ballesteros. Jupiter Nettle and the Seven Schools of Magic is a middle grade graphic novel, and was positively reviewed by School Library Journal.[13]
Mandanna's first novel for adults,[2] The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, was published by Berkley Books in 2022. Kirkus Reviews described the book as a "magical tale about finding yourself" in a 2022 starred review.[14] It was nominated for the 2022 Goodreads Choice Award for Reader's Favourite Fantasy,[15] and described as a "hit" by the New York Times Book Review.[16] The New York Times included the book on its "Best Romance Novels of 2022" list.[17]
In 2025, Mandanna released her second novel for adults, A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping.[18] The book reached number six on the New York Times best-seller list for paperback trade fiction,[19] and number five on Publishers Weekly's trade paperback bestsellers list.[20] The book was nominated for the 2025 Goodreads Choice Award for Reader's Favourite Romantasy[21] and was included by the New York Times on their list of 100 notable books of 2025.[22] Both The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches and A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping have been described as cosy fantasy novels.[6]
Personal life
Mandanna lives with her husband and three children in Norwich, England.[2][23] She has obsessive–compulsive disorder, depression, and anxiety.[4][12]