The number of women writers in India or better still Indian female authors who have written novels and poetry can be counted in single digits. These few women writers in India nevertheless occupy a crucial place in the literary world as they are seen as pioneers of feminism in India and are some of the most powerful voices today.
There are many famous women writers in India and this article will elaborate more on some of the best Indian female writers whose works you'll need to read.
In terms of Hindi literature, many famous female authors make up a large portion of Indian literature today. Women have been part of Hindi literature since times when their work was restricted to poetry. They have written novels and plays that have informed Indian society about its culture and tradition.
The Need For More Women Writers in India
Despite the many issues that still surround women in India today, it was only some years ago that women started writing literature. According to an article by the Indian Express, when Jhumpa Lahiri won her Pulitzer Prize 10 years ago, she entered a world which was otherwise occupied by men.
The article notes that 'they were men because half of India is populated with women…women who go to war fields as doctors and soldiers; they are ubiquitous at all levels of society in India. Yet they have almost no say in how they are represented.' This is one of the major reasons why we see such an unequal number of Indian male authors and Indian female authors.
Some Noteworthy Women Writers in India are:
Shama Futehally:
Shama Futehally is not only one of the best Indian female authors today, but she is also the first woman to become an honorary citizen of the United States by being conferred with this dignity in 2007. Shama is not only a famous Indian female writer, but she had also written many well-known romantic novels and was known as 'The Queen of Romance'. She has a very poetic style and her novels mostly focus on women's issues. If you are looking for stories focusing on everyday life in India, then you can't go wrong by picking up some of her works. One of Shama Futehally's most notable works is 'A Thousand splendid suns'.
Meena Kandasamy:
Meena Kandasamy is one of the best Indian female writers today. She has a unique style of writing and her themes are very different from that of others. Her work focuses on feminism, politics and violence against women. She wants to rewrite history by pointing out the absence of women in it and make them more visible in history. She also writes about men taking away all their power derived from the oppression they have subjected women to for ages, without realising that they have robbed themselves of their own humanity.
Rupa Bajwa:
Rupa Bajwa is another important name in Indian female authors list today that every person should know about. She is a Punjabi woman from Punjab who writes in Hindi and has won many awards. Her books are mostly based on regional issues, women and feminism. She started her career writing poetry but soon after became one of the most famous Indian female authors today. She has written many novels in her career which have been widely admired by people.
Jhumpa Lahiri:
Jhumpa Lahiri is an important Indian female authors name that came up as an influential voice during the last decade. She is a well-known author who writes in the literary genre of romantic novels. Her name came to light after she won her Pulitzer Prize in 2007, which was quite surprising historically as women were not permitted to enter into a male-dominated field of writing then. She has written many well-known romantic novels and has won many awards for her literary work.
Veena Venugopal:
Veena Venugopal is one of the best Indian female writers today who has made the name of Indian literature famous around the world by introducing Hindi literature to the world stage. Veena is a very well-known name in Indian writing today, and her books are widely read both in India and abroad. Most of her work was poetry, but she also wrote many novels which were based on women's issues and the political issues surrounding them.
Dalip Kaur Tiwana:
Dalip Kaur Tiwana is another important female author who writes poetry in Hindi. She is a very famous name in the world of Hindi literature and has won many awards for her work. She writes about controversial topics like gender discrimination, female sexuality and more. Her poetry is highly regarded by many people for its power to convey emotions through beautiful words.
Kamala Das:
Kamala Das is definitely one of the best Indian female writers today. She has written many poetry books and has won many awards for her work. She writes in evolving languages like Hindi, Urdu, English etc. She has organised several poetic meetings with other poets in India as well as abroad so that she can express her views regarding freedom of expression and the need for new forms of poetry.
Manikuntala Sen:
Manikuntala Sen is a very famous name in Hindi literature today who writes in English and Urdu. Her work focuses on political issues, feminism and gender discrimination. She also expresses her views on the importance of freedom of speech in front of the purpose of writing. She is one of the best Indian female writers today who has not only won many awards but is also well known in India and abroad.
Manju Kapur:
Manju Kapur is another important name in the world of Indian writing today, whom many people look up to for inspiration. She has received many awards for her work and she has also used her pen to fight for women's issues and social justice. Her work focuses on gender discrimination, discrimination against women from lower castes and more. She was born in a lower caste Hindu family, which was traditionally regarded as untouchables.
Mahaswetha Devi:
Mahaswetha Devi has a unique style of writing which is very personal and focuses on women's issues. She came into the limelight after being selected as the winner of 'Rajkamal Puroskar' in 1996, which is an award given for the best book written by a woman. Her books are autobiographies and she was born in a lower caste Hindu family. She has written many novels on subjects that deal with women's issues, sexuality and more. She is one of the best Indian female writers today.
Aditi Patil:
Aditi Patil is another well-known name in the world of Indian writing today. She was born in an upper-caste Hindu family, but she has always been a very strong feminist. She is known to be very supportive of women's rights and has even started her own NGO 'Vishva Rupa'. She is one of the best Indian female writers today who writes in English and Urdu.
Sharanya Manivannan:
Sharanya Manivannan or Sharanya is a Tamil writer who is an important name in the world of Indian writing today. She writes in English and has written many novels which have been well received by many people. Her style of writing is very unique and different from others. She has won many awards for her work. She has also been nominated for a few Sahitya Akademi Awards.
Anita Desai:
Anita Desai is an important name in Hindi literature today and she is one of the best Indian female writers you can know about. Her writing mostly focuses on gender discrimination against women, but she also writes about other social issues too, like the caste system, corruption, politics etc. She is noted for her style of writing which is a combination of realism and magic realism. She was also the first woman to be short-listed for Booker Prize twice, which is a great achievement.
Nisha Susan:
Nisha Susan's name might not strike you right at the first glance, but she is one of the most important names in Indian writing today who you should know about. She is a very strong voice in Hindi Literature and her work has been widely acclaimed by many people across the globe. She writes about women's issues, feminism, gender discrimination etc. She has won many awards for her novel 'Purvi'.
Priya-Alika Elias:
Priya-Alika Elias is a well-known name in Indian literature and is also known as a well-known feminist activist. She works a lot to raise awareness regarding the issues that women face and has herself been seen on many social media platforms in support of women's rights. Priya is one of the best Indian female writers you can know about and she writes in English, Hindi and Bangla too. She is another well-known name in the world of writing today who writes in English. She has won many awards for her work which was on the main topic of freedom of expression to be used by all people, regardless of their religion or castes.
Conclusion
In this article, we had listed a few important names you should know about in the world of Indian writing today. It is not enough to simply know the names mentioned here and make your way through the rest of the internet to find more people doing great work. We recommend that you read up on these names and learn as much as you can about them so that you can be an informed reader when reading about Indian literature today.
When it comes to writing, nothing can beat seeing a person's handwriting or meeting them personally, but that might always be possible ways with matters like lack of money etc. Still, books are our best friends, who take us right into their world and bring us through their travels without any effort on our part.
FAQs
Who are the best Indian Female Authors?
The above-mentioned list of authors is all a list of writers with enough persona to claim the title of 'The best Indian Female Author'.
Which Indian female writer has the best-selling book in India?
Many Indian female writers have best-selling books in each of their respective fields, here are some to mention but a few Aditi Patil, Priya-Alika Elias, Meena Kandasamy, Jhumpa Lahiri etc.