IGF Archer Amish Award for Storytellers, S.L. Bhyrappa Prize for Indian Fiction

Msyore/Mysuru: Mysuru-based author Dr. Arun Krishnan has been longlisted for two prestigious honours. The IGF Archer Amish Award for Storytellers and the S.L. Bhyrappa Prize for Indian Fiction.

Dr. Arun Krishnan, who is also the Chairman and Managing Director of Mysore Polymers and Rubber Products, has earned this recognition for his latest novel, ‘Daughter of Two Rivers’, a historical fantasy that bridges ancient civilisations.

Published by Penguin Random House, the book was released at the Mysuru Literature Festival 2025.

Speaking to Star of Mysore, Dr. Arun Krishnan said historical fiction is not just a genre for him, but a discipline he has chosen to pursue fully. “At this point, historical fiction is what I’m sticking to,” he said, while hinting at a forthcoming fifth book with Penguin that will depart from the past.

Inspiration for ‘Daughter of Two Rivers’

‘Daughter of Two Rivers’ draws inspiration from the twentieth-century discovery of a Sumerian tablet. Recalling a visit to the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute in Pune, he said he came across a tablet reportedly found off the Mumbai coast, inscribed with accounts of slaves being freed.

“That discovery sparked a question. How did a Sumerian relic end up in India?” he said. The novel travels back to 1900 BCE, almost 4,000 years ago, weaving together the Sindhu, Saraswathi and Babylonian civilisations, while also linking the narrative to archaeological finds at Rakhigarhi in Haryana, one of the largest Harappan sites.

Balancing writing with his professional life has never been a challenge, he said, crediting discipline as the key. “If I write for an hour each day, I can finish a book in about three to three-and-a-half months,” he explained.

Writing discipline

This routine has helped him write consistently alongside a career spanning multiple countries and industries, from engineering roles in India to assignments in the United States, Singapore and Japan.

He has worked across academia, industry and entrepreneurship, including running an analytics startup for seven years before shutting it down during the pandemic.

Dr. Arun Krishnan’s interest in history dates back to his early years, with frequent visits to the Brihadeeswara Temple in Thanjavur shaping his fascination with the past. Later, reading Amish Tripathi’s Meluha series inspired him to write his own stories.

Today, his work blends science, history and imagination to create narratives that connect civilisations and centuries.

Dr. Arun Krishnan is also the author of ‘The Battle of Vathapi’ trilogy, published by HarperCollins, which includes ‘Nandi’s Charge’, ‘Varaha’s Vengeance’ and ‘Simha’s Roar.’

He is an engineer by training and has worked in IT, high-performance computing, bioinformatics, computational biology and HR analytics. A polyglot, he is conversant in Tamil, English, Hindi, Bengali, Japanese and Kannada. An amateur historian and musician, he enjoys visiting historical sites and playing guitar.