Aug 04, 2025

8 Powerful Books by Indian Women Writers You Must Read

Aanya Mehta

Rudaali by Mahashweta Devi

A searing novella about women paid to cry at funerals. Exposes caste, class, and survival with brutal clarity.

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Zindaginama by Krishna Sobti

A sweeping, multilingual portrait of pre partition Punjab. Sobti blends folklore, feminism, and politics like no other.

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Aalo Aandhari by Baby Halder

Originally written in Bengali by a domestic worker. A brutally honest memoir of resilience against abuse and poverty.

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The Grip of Change by P. Sivakami

Written by a Dalit woman bureaucrat, this Tamil novel confronts patriarchy and caste head on.

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A Life in Words by Ismat Chughtai

Her short stories were once banned. Read her for fearless, ahead of her time feminist writing in Urdu.

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Summer in Calcutta by Kamla Das

This poetry collection by one of the most iconic female poets of India, expresses the inner most vulnerabilities of a woman inspired by her life's experiences.

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Touch by Meena Kandasamy

Fierce debut poetry that reclaims desire, rage, and Dalit identity. Every line burns.

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Rivers of Flesh and Other Stories edited by Ruchira Gupta

Stories on sex work by women writers across languages. Unflinching and deeply human.

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These Deep-Sea Creatures Glow in the Dark