Introduction
Indian literature is full of creative ideas and imaginative stories. The authors have inspired millions of readers over the course of past few decades. This is especially true for female authors considering their hardships. So, let’s explore the top 5 female authors in modern India and their enduring contributions that continue to impact people’s lives. Furthermore, through works such as The God of Small Things and Interpreter of Maladies, these influential female authors address feminism, self, and the world.
5 Best Female Authors In India
The female authors of modern India have reframed contemporary Indian literature, incorporating traditions and influential voices on women’s empowerment, cultural identity, and transformation. Booker Prize winners and Pulitzer Prize winners, these authors create stories with global appeal that address issues of diaspora, gender relations, and city life in post-independence India.
- Arundhati Roy
- Kiran Desai
- Jhumpa Lahiri
- Anita Desai
- Nayantara Sahgal
Their works make Indian English literature a must-read, as they are inspirational books that can captivate readers with a wide range of stories authored by the most prominent women in contemporary Indian literature. Discover their must-read books below, along with discovering who all are in the list of best female authors.
1. Arundhati Roy
She is the best among the leading female authors in modern India, with her first novel, The God of Small Things. It is a masterpiece that, ironically, unites a poignant story of forbidden love, caste, and family secrets in Kerala and embraces readers with lyrical prose, winning this Booker Prize (1997).
“That’s what careless words do. They make people love you a little less.”
― The God of Small Things
Roy’s activism is reflected in her non-fiction, such as The Ministry of Utmost Happiness (2017), which criticised politics and inequality. Her books lead search results for the best Indian women writers’ books, and they combine magical realism with caustic social commentary.
2. Jhumpa Lahiri
A Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Jhumpa Lahiri is a master at depicting the Indian diaspora in her book Interpreter of Maladies (1999), a collection of short stories exploring themes of immigration and belonging. Her novel The Namesake (2003) explores the issue of second-generation identity crisis, which was later adapted into a successful film.
“That’s the thing about books. They let you travel without moving your feet.”
― The Namesake
Her beautiful writing style places Lahiri among the top 5 female authors in India, whose work has shaped modern Indian literature worldwide. One of them is The Lowland (2013), a Booker-nominated novel that further explores loss and partition.
3. Kiran Desai
Anita Desai gave birth to Kiran Desai, who won the Man Booker Prize for The Inheritance of Loss (2006), set in the context of globalisation and colonialism in India and New York. Her first work, the Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard (1998), is a humorous satire of life in the small town.
“The present changes the past. Looking back you do not find what you left behind.”
― The Inheritance of Loss
Desai is one of the most notable female writers of modern India, and her accounts of class and migration rank highly in search results when searching for books by Indian women writers. She has a very evocative writing that transcends cultural boundaries.
4. Anita Desai
Anita Desai is a pioneer of modern Indian literature who wrote a novel, Clear Light of Day (1980), exploring family relationships and the trauma of the Indian partition. She was shortlisted several times in the Booker, and her books, such as In Custody (1984), have been used to castigate the decay of Urdu poetry.
“You cover your eyes with your arm and beg sleep to draw down its curtain.”
― Rosarita
Desai’s introspective style makes her one of the best women writers in contemporary India, and the feminist theme of her novels is the inner world of women. Her reach spans generations in the field of search engine optimisation for traditional Indian fiction.
5. Nayantara Sahgal
In Rich Like Us (1985), Nayantara Sahgal, the niece of Jawaharlal Nehru, either captures the independent period of India through history or satirises corruption. A Situation in New Delhi (1977) is her political memoir.
“Over the weekend I have fallen in love with you again. I do not know why. Because it was wholly unnecessary.”
― Relationship
As one of the prominent representatives of modern Indian female writers, Sahgal stands out for her bold perspective on secularism and power. Moreover, it is a perspective that is still echoed in the questions of the best female Indian authors. Her unending legacy defines the postcolonial discourse.
Must-Read Books By The Best Female Authors In India
- The God of Small Things: Booker Prize winner (1997) by Arundhati Roy is a lyrical, magical realism story about forbidden love, caste boundaries, and family secrets in the state of Kerala, which is one of the pillars of modern Indian literature.
- Interpreter of Maladies: Pulitzer-winning short stories (1999) by Jhumpa Lahiri on the struggles of the Indian diaspora, immigration and the issue of cultural identity, which echoed the world.
- The Inheritance of Loss: Man Booker Prize (2006) by Kiran Desai compares the impact of globalisation in India and the West and explores the issue of class and colonialism.
- Clear Light of Day by Anita Desai: Reflective fiction of the trauma of partition, family relationships and the interior world of women in post-independent India.
- Nayantara Sahgal’s Rich Like Us: Satirical take on 1980s corruption and politics, blending history with feminist insights from a Nehru kin.