5 women writers to read now

There is no dearth of literary fiction in our country, what with the mushrooming of publishing houses and self-publishing options. How do you look for the ones who are really worth your time? Well, you just read to find out and we did just that. On World Book Day today, here’s a list of five Indian female authors who are writing impactful prose—novels that make you sit up and think.

Anjali Joseph: This Mumbai-born British-Indian author and journalist’s first novel, Saraswati Park was coined a critical success and earned her several awards, including the Betty Trask Prize, the Desmond Elliott Prize and the Crossword Book Award for Fiction. Her second novel, Another Country won the 2012 Man Asian Literary Prize. Reason enough why you should be reading her books. Her themes usually touch upon concerns of the urban, middle-class India.

Anjum Hasan: Hailing from Shillong, Meghalaya, poet and novelist Anjum Hasan’s writing is lyrical and intense at the same time. Her debut collection of poems, Street On The Hill from Sahitya Akademi won her rave reviews. Her debut novel Lunatic In My Head, a Zubaan-Penguin publication, was shortlisted for the Crossword Book Award in 2007, while her second novel Neti Neti got shortlisted for The Hindu Best Fiction Award.

Anuradha Roy: She herself heads a publishing house. Anuradha Roy studied in Presidency College and moved to Cambridge to pursue higher studies. Her first novel, An Atlas Of Impossible Longing, has been published in 17 countries and translated into 15 languages across the world. It was shortlisted for the Crossword Prize in India and longlisted for the IMPAC Dublin Award 2008. Her second novel, The Folded Earth, was shortlisted for the Hindu Literary Award and longlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize in 2011. She beautifully explores relationships, setting a magnifying glass on the inner conflicts in human attraction.

Anita Nair: Anita Nair authored several critically-acclaimed books such as The Better Man, Ladies Coupé, Mistress and Lessons In Forgetting. Her books have been translated into thirty languages all over the world. Her humourous yet insightful novel Ladies Coupé underlines women’s conditions in a male dominated society. Her latest novel, Idris: Keeper Of The Light—a historical and geographical story about a Somalian trader who visited Malabar in 1659 AD—shows her keenness for in-depth research. This is one prolific author whose books shouldn’t be missed at any cost.

Anuja Chauhan: Anuja Chauhan pursued her education in Meerut, Delhi and Australia. She has worked in advertising for over 14 years and has created many popular ad campaigns, including Nothing Official About it, Yeh Dil Maange More and Oye Bubbly for brand Pepsi. Her debut novel The Zoya Factor was an out-and-out bestseller. The two other novels that followed—Battle For Bittora and Those Pricey Thakur Girls—sealed her position in the literary circuit. Her writing is as witty as it is intelligent and classic like Jane Austen’s.