Author Guide ·
Books Written by
Boo spent over three years embedded in a Mumbai slum, learning the residents’ language and returning again and again to document their lives with a level of patience most journalism can’t afford, resulting in one of the most acclaimed works of narrative nonfiction of the 21st century. A Pulitzer Prize winner and MacArthur ‘Genius’ Grant recipient, she has built her career on the conviction that immersive reporting is the only honest way to write about poverty.
By Lisanne Swart · 1 books · Investigative Journalism · Updated August 2026
Investigative JournalismOn my shelf
Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity
Boo spent over three years reporting inside Annawadi, a Mumbai slum wedged beside a row of luxury airport hotels, following several families as they navigate poverty, corruption, and a single act of violence that upends the entire settlement. Won the National Book Award for Nonfiction.
Written with the narrative technique of a novel but built entirely from documented reporting — Boo deliberately keeps herself out of the text, letting the residents’ own words and actions carry the story without authorial commentary.
