Lock-Up is the stunning, revelatory debut novel by M. Chandrakumar, based on his own experiences.

Two decades back, Chandrakumar — an auto rickshaw-driver — was picked up by the police for a crime he did not commit. He spent two weeks in jail and those tortuous days inspired him to write a novel that is searing in its intensity and honesty. In describing the atrocities that are meted out by the police to people living on the margins, Chandrakumar brings forth their vulnerabilities, forcing us to ask questions of ourselves and the society we live in.

Lock-Up was first published in Tamil in 2006 and won the Best Document of Human Rights’ Award the same year. The film Visaranai, based on the novel, won the Best Feature Film in Tamil at the 63rd National Film Awards and premiered at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival. It was India’s official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards.

A searing commentary that reveals much about a world we try to ignore, Lock-Up is a book that must be read.