At the bustling Hyderabad Book Fair 2025, full-time author Susmitha captivated audiences with tales of her self-published crime thriller Truth or Truth, a gripping murder mystery laced with chess analogies. The Vizag-born writer, who quit her NGO job after a Master’s in Public Health, described the novel’s climax where the hero and the killer confront each other across a chessboard. “It’s a suspense thriller where the protagonist receives threatening notes using chess moves,” she revealed in an exclusive interview, emphasizing its unique hook amid a sea of conventional whodunits.
Sushmita, now a seasoned storyteller after her 2024 debut Angel, credits her national chess champion father for igniting her passion. Introduced to the game and literature at age five, she rediscovered chess after quitting, blending it with her love for crime thrillers. I hadn’t read any novels using chess analogies, so I thought, Why not?’ she said. The title Truth or Truth poses a tantalizing dilemma: perfect truth or imperfect one? Without spoilers, it probes deception in a tale of an ex-army hero inheriting his father’s mysteriously slain company.
Susmita measures success against her own milestones. Angel, a cinematic political love story of London-raised Indian childhood friends navigating British-Indian cultures, feminism, and literature, sold over1000copies in two months across fairs in Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Tirupati, and Goa. Celebrities like MM Keeravani garu and Pawan Kalyan snapped up copies, boosting her cred as an emerging voice. This year, Truth or Truth, launched recently, aims to top that, all without big publishers.
Her Journey reflects bold intervention. Raised across South India, Sushmita speaks multiple languages, drawing from diverse cultures for broad narratives. Angel balances Western Individualism with Indian traditions, where the heroine “knows where to draw the line” on gender equality and societal norms. Quitting corporate drudgery stemmed from recognition woes: “You work 24/7, but credit goes to superiors or PhDs.” “Authorship delivers “100% recognition,”fueling her full-time pivot with a safety net- public health as Plan A, Writing as Plan B.
Sushmita’s mantra for young authors, “Do not delay. Do it today.” Procrastination dooms dreams, she warns, urging them to seize inspiration from anywhere, invent words, and embrace flexibility. “As a writer, you have the privilege,” she insists, fascinated by language, like her favourite, the second-longest English word: superfragilisticexpialidocious, summing up her work as “amazing.” Passion and determination, she adds, are key.
The fair buzz underscores indie publishing’s rise in Hyderabad’s literary scene, where self-starters like Susmita challenge traditional gates. Her books, blending genres with cultural depth, resonate with young fiction readers. By prompting her three-word pitch: superfragilisticexpialidocious, determination, andpassion.
In a literary landscape dominated by delays and doubts, authors like Susmita ignite a beacon for women writers everywhere. Truth or Truth, infused with chess mastery and cultural fusion, she embodies unyielding passion and determination. “Women, harness that privilege- draw from life’s mosaic, young writers craft your stories, await, bold and unbreakable.
Sushmita grips ‘Truth or Truth’—chess threats unravel in her thrilling murder mystery debut at Hyderabad Book Fair!
‘Angel’ Sushmita weaves London love, Indian roots, and cinematic twists for hearts worldwide.
