M.J. Akbar is a distinguished author whose many books have focused on social schisms and religious tensions fomented by colonial policy. He has had a parallel career as editor and reporter. During his long career in journalism, he launched, as editor, India's first weekly political news magazine, Sunday in 1976, and two daily newspapers, The Telegraph in 1982 and The Asian Age in 1994. He has also been editorial director of India Today and The Sunday Guardian.
He is also the author of several internationally acclaimed books, including Gandhi's Hinduism the Struggle Against Jinnah's Islam, India: The Siege Within; Nehru: The Making of India; Kashmir: Behind the Vale; The Shade of Swords: Jihad and the Conflict between Islam and Christianity; Tinderbox: The Past and Future of Pakistan; and Blood Brothers, a novel. In addition there have been four collections of his columns, reportage and essays.