Divided into three sections, In the Shade of the Sahyadri is a collection of the finest twentieth-century Malayalam poetry, short fiction, and drama in English translation.

The first section-Malayalam Poetry in the Twentieth Century-includes the works of renowned poets such as O.N.V. Kurup, K. Satchidanandan, and K. Ayyappa Paniker, among others. The second section-Malayalam Short Fiction in the Twentieth Century-includes short stories by some of the most representative figures in contemporary Malayalam literature, including Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, T. Padmanabhan, and Paul Zacharia. The last section-Malayalam Drama in the Twentieth Century-includes the play Kanchana Sita by C. N. Sreekantan Nair which captures one of the most intense and dramatic moments of the Ramayana story.

With introductions by two well-known bilingual academics, this book is designed as a primer for the study of regional literature.