Voices of the stronger sex

Aditi Garg

Women authors have been at the forefront of literary creation since eons. The Rig Vedas, looked upon as revered texts, have as many as 20 women attributed with the composition of many of  their hymns. In the recent times, we have had works by the likes of Mahasweta Devi, Amrita Pritam, Ismat Chugtai and Arundhati Roy to chew on and boast of. Female voice wasn’t always suppressed in India. In fact, in the ancient times, women were an integral part of decision-making in homes and kingdoms alike. With time, as the scales tipped against them and they were relegated to the sidelines, so was literature by them.

However, their voices may have been marginalised but could never be silenced. Women are raising their voices again and making themselves heard  through poetry and prose alike, spanning genres, once considered beyond their purview. They are writing unapologetically and boldly, stirring up debates, settling them and just being themselves. Acclaimed author Kamala Das, who was recently honoured with a Google Doodle, had always questioned male supremacy through her works and refused to be bound by regressive boundaries for women. She used to say, “Like other women writers of my class, I am expected to tame my talent to suit the comfort of my family”. It is this pressure to fit in and be tamed that has killed many a writing career in the womb, yet she persevered and thrived to become one of the most recognised names in Indian literature.

Women authors are exploring genres new and old, and owning them. Reading women’s writings gives you an insight into the times and they are a changing indeed. Simar Puneet, executive commissioning editor at Aleph Book Company, recommends comedian Radhika Vaz’s memoir, Unladylike, as must for anyone growing up in India. The style maybe humorous but her writings touch many taboo topics. 

While Vaz writes about present issues, Annie Zaidi’s anthology of 5,000 years of women’s writing in India, Unbound, and Amrita Narayanan’s The Parrots of Desire, a selection from 3,000 years of Indian erotica, are treasures about an ancient past that should be on everyone’s bookshelf. 

While society may make their life difficult in the mainstream, in publishing world, they are welcome with open arms. A sizeable number of women writers are writing on a variety of topics — from history to politics — and selling in large numbers too.

In the coming months, there is Seema Anand’s The Art of Seduction (her Ted talk got over seven million views); Sanam Maher’s The Sensational Life and Death of Qandeel Baloch, which is a revealing look into Pakistan through the murder of model and social-media celebrity Qandeel Baloch; Ira Mukhoty’s Daughters of the Sun: Empresses, Queens and Begums of the Mughal Empire about the women of the Mughal court, to look forward to.

The world has become a stage for women and they are effortlessly commanding the spotlight. Rupi Kaur, author of Milk and Honey, echoes the thought, “There’s this idea that there’s no stage for all of us, but there is. The stage is limitless.” Ajay Arora of Capital Book Depot, Chandigarh, says that when she recently visited the city, Rupi was greeted by a packed house at Tagore Theatre, such is her following. He says, “Topical books sell the most. It is evident from the sale of books by Twinkle Khanna, Shobha De, Soha Ali Khan and the likes. Although they are celebrities, their lives are just like those of their readers.”  

Anil Sharma, sales manager of Browser, Chandigarh, says that Sudha Murthy’s works are one of the hottest selling books. Her books connect with people and her repertoire is vast and impressive. 

Another Indian author, who is popular, is Preeti Shenoy, author of A Hundred Little Flames, It Happens for a Reason and It’s all in the Planets, among others. The instant connect is largely because she says that her characters are based on real people, and so are their struggles. 

This recurrent theme of being grounded in reality makes many a female authors so widely read and loved. Anuja Chauhan, author of Zoya Factor, The Pricey Thakur Girls and Baaz, who is dubbed the best chick lit writer in India, says she likes to write about cool things, and nothing is cooler than real life.

If there was ever a time to assert your voice as a female writer, it is now.