Balasubramanyam's first novel, "In Beautiful Disguises", was the winner of a Betty Trask Prize in 1999 before it was even published. It was later accepted by Bloomsbury, and went on to be nominated for the Guardian Fiction Award and shortlisted for the BBC Asia Prize. "The Guardian" described it as: "Colourful, spirited and crackling with charm. It is easy to see why Balasubramanyam is already a Betty Trask Winner". Nadeem Aslam commented that it was: "The best first novel since I can't remember when. I made nine pages of closely written notes on its various metaphors, insights and similes. Brilliant!"