Womens Voices

In this anthology Eunice de Souza brings together the writings of women whose contributions in various areas social and literary during the nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries were of much significance. A collection of excerpts from letters, tracts, diaries, magazines, articles, autobiographies, biographies, short stories, and even speeches, this anthology once again brings to the forefront voices that have faded over a period of time, and works that are almost impossible to find. The women writers included here address a wide range of issues, some of which were specific to their times but most of which are of relevance even today from theatre, dance, and travel to the position of women in society, education for women, child marriage, orthodox practices such as the purdah and most importantly, the issue of franchise of women. In the context of the nineteenth century, some of these issues are particularly important because this was a time when the demand for social reform i n relation to women was beginning to acquire a political dimension in many ways, and was being perceived, finally, as part of a larger nationalist problem. Some of the writers included in this anthology are, Cornelia Sorabji, Toru Dutt, Iqbalunnisa Hussain, Sarojini Naidu, Zeenuth Futehally, Santha Rama Rau etc. Putting these works together will lead to some reassessments in the history of Indian writings in English.