Anita Nair is the author of seven books for children.

Her books for adults include eleven works of fiction, a collection of poems titled Malabar Mind, and a collection of essays titled Goodnight and God Bless. She has also translated into English T.S. Pillai's Malayalam cult classic Chemmeen and edited a book of writings on Kerala titled Where the Rain Is Born.

Anita Nair has also written two plays and the screenplay for the movie adaptation of her novel Lessons in Forgetting, which won the National Film Award in 2013. Among other awards, she was also given the Central Sahitya Akademi Award and the Crossword Prize. Her books have been translated into over thirty-three languages around the world. Her writing is included in both school and university syllabi. She is the founder of the creative writing mentorship program, Anita's Attic, and is a High-Profile Supporter of the UNHCR.

Anita's last book for children, Bipathu and a Very Big Dream, has been shortlisted for numerous children's fiction prizes.