The Author
The Author
Shailendra Singh
AUTHOR
Indian filmmaker Ayan Mukherjee launches Shailendra Singh’s The True Story of Sunburn book at Crossword Bookstore; Mumbai, 2014
Everything he’s ever done, has started with a story.
Shailendra Singh became the HT-Nielsen #1 bestselling author in India within 45 days of his literary debut. He was nominated for the Crossword Most Popular Book of the Year Award. He has published three books - on life, on survival, on the inside story of building Asia's largest music festival.
Now, with three new books arriving in 2026, including his debut work of fiction published by Westland, India's most respected literary publisher - the storyteller is just getting started.
F?@k Knows
Shailendra Singh’s debut book, F?@k Knows, became an HT-Nielsen #1 bestseller within 45 days of release. Released through Rupa Publications in 2013, the book was nominated for the Crossword Most Popular Book of the Year.
F?@k Knows
Shailendra Singh’s debut book, F?@k Knows, became an HT-Nielsen #1 bestseller within 45 days of release. Released through Rupa Publications in 2013, the book was nominated for the Crossword Most Popular Book of the Year.
F?@k Knows reaches #1 on the HT-Nielsen Non-Fiction Top 10 list, just 45 days after release. Hindustan Times, 2013.
F?@k Knows
Non-Fiction · Self-Help · Humour
Rupa Publications · 2013 · ISBN 978-8129123886
Are you truly happy? Are you on the right track? If your answer is F?@k Knows — this is your book. India's most unconventional self-help manual tells you how to find yourself, follow your heart and live life entirely on your own terms. Raw, funny, in-your-face and completely honest. Written after the loss of his father, and a near-death experience, that made Shailendra Singh question everything he thought he knew about success.
⭐ HT-Nielsen #1 Bestseller — within 45 days of publication
⭐ Crossword Most Popular Book of the Year — Nominee, 2013
⭐ Available internationally — India, UK, USA, Germany
Excerpt from F?@k Knows
Disclaimer:
Any resemblance to persons living or dead is totally intentional. For those dead, I’m sure it won’t be a problem, for obvious reasons. For those living, please don’t mind that I have used your real name and, in one case, your phone number (People really won’t believe I did all this shit! Back me up, Asif!).
Everything that I have written about is totally true and absolutely happened. Except for the story about my Uncle in Shamli. And, of course, the story about Ganesha. I made those up. And I may have based the story about Ayjaz on an old folktale I heard somewhere. But, other than that, everything is true and accurate. I swear on my Uncle in Shamli.
“Couldn’t stop laughing as I read the 1st few pages of F?@K Knows, autobiography of @ShailendraS7 masquerading as a life guide. Brilliant shit!” Tweet from Pritish Nandy.
As written about in
Times of India | Business Standard | Hindustan Times | DNA India | Midday and more…
“Some f?@kin’ good work. This could be one of the few self-help books one could be persuaded to pick up.” Post Noon, Sept 2013.
Also available at Waterstones UK and Barnes & Noble USA
F?@k Knows Dead or Alive
F?@k Knows Dead or Alive
F?@k Knows -
dead or alive
Non-Fiction · Self-Help · Humour
Rupa Publications · 2018 · ISBN 978-9353041182
The follow-up to India's #1 bestseller. Does the F?@k Knows Baba follow his own advice? What does he see when he looks in the mirror now? Bolder, wilder and just as brutally honest as the original — Dead or Alive picks up where F?@k Knows left off and goes further than you might expect.
After the phenomenal success of his first book F?@K Knows, the entertainment maverick turned social entrepreneur is still not reverting to the phrase “God Knows”. Instead he is back with some more ‘Fs’ in his life with F?@K Knows: Dead or Alive. With the same honesty and humour, he sets out to share his latest trials and good fortunes and weighs in on some of the more universal maladies of our times by gazing back in his life and answering the questions: “What does he see when he looks in to the mirror now?” “What is it like to be the prostitute, the pimp and run the whorehouse at the same time?” “What’s it like to live with the mother of all mothers?” “Is social media really that social?” “Is there any hope for the ‘wired up’ generation?” “Does God have the best PR company?”
“In this book, Shailendra doesn’t shy away from discussing the challenges he faced in his personal life.” F?@k Knows : Dead or Alive featured in the Times of India, January 2019.
True Story of Sunburn Book
True Story of Sunburn Book
The True Story of Sunburn
Non-Fiction · Music · Entrepreneurship
Embassy Books · 2014 · ISBN 978-9383359738
The inside story of how one man's experiment on a Goan beach became Asia's largest music festival and the world's 3rd largest dance music event. Backstage confessions, behind-the-scenes revelations, and the real story of what it took to build Sunburn — told by the only man who was there for every moment of it. Essential reading for anyone who loves music, business or both.
⭐ India's first live book
⭐ By the Inceptor of Sunburn — Asia's #1 Music Promoter
“Shailendra wants to inspire the younger generations through the True Story of Sunburn.” New India Express, Nov 2014. Read Article →
World #1 DJ Hardwell shares the love for Shailendra Singh’s True Story of Sunburn book.
Out of print. Available on select second-hand book platforms — search by title.
Coming in 2026
Coming in 2026
Coming 2026
- A New Chapter
Shailendra Singh returns in 2026 with his debut work of fiction, published by Westland, India's most respected literary publisher.
"A kind of character that you've never seen before."
Fiction · Drama · Second Half 2026
Title and cover reveal coming soon.
