Sangu Mandanna

Author

Sangu Mandanna is an Indian-born, British-based author whose enchanting fantasy novels have earned her bestseller status and a passionate global readership. Her writing is characterised by warmth, wit, and a talent for creating magical worlds that feel both extraordinary and deeply human. Born in 1987 in Bengaluru, India, Mandanna wrote... her first story at the age of four — inspired by being chased by an elephant down a forest road. She moved to England at eighteen to study at Lancaster University and now lives in Norwich with her husband and three children. Her debut novel The Lost Girl (2012) was a YA story about love, identity, and mortality. A House of Rage and Sorrow is part of her Celestial Trilogy. But it was The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches (2022) that became her breakout success — a warm, magical, and utterly charming novel about Mika Moon, a witch who has always been told to hide her magic, who takes a job caring for three young orphaned witches in a tumbledown house. The book was a New York Times notable romance of 2022 and a Goodreads Choice Award nominee. A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping (2025) continued Mandanna's success, reaching number six on the New York Times bestseller list and being named one of the New York Times' 100 notable books of 2025. She has also written the Kiki Kallira middle-grade fantasy series, which incorporates Southeast Asian mythology and explores neurodiversity with sensitivity and imagination. Mandanna's writing is distinguished by its warmth, its diverse characters, and its celebration of found family, belonging, and the idea that the things that make you different are also the things that make you magical. The audiobook editions of Mandanna's novels are delightful, with narrators capturing the warmth and charm of her storytelling. Her books and audiobooks are essential for anyone who loves fantasy with heart, humour, and a generous spirit. Read more Show less