Womankind

The power of the pen

The literature of Indian women writing in English has been described as a “literary juggernaut” - an international publishing industry “powerhouse”. With a reputation for lyrical language and innovative storytelling, Indian women writers have become significant contributors not only to Indian feminist thought, but to a broader understanding of the more damaging legacy of a patriarchal society.

Writers Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, Jhumpa Lahiri, and Arundhati Roy have continued to walk a path cleared by earlier writers such as Nayantara Sahgal and Shasi Deshpande. Now women writers from India and those of Indian heritage are at the top of their game in literary fiction, non-fiction, mystery, chick-lit, and young adult fiction. “Indian women writers represent the complexity and staggering diversity of thought and story in India,” says author Sonora Jha, professor of journalism at Seattle University. Jha, who was shortlisted

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