Cornelia Sorabji was a social reformer, an author and the first woman to practise law in India and Britain. By the time poor sight ended her work in India, she had helped many hundreds of wives, widows and orphans. She also successfully organized a League for Infant Welfare, Maternity and District Nursing.

Her writings provide a priceless and fascinating documentation of one of India’s most outstanding women of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Her noble career and valuable archives have left behind a heritage to the people of India and their causes. Her truly extraordinary life of dedication to public service, evident from her writings and ceaseless hard work deserve to be acknowledged and publicised. This book achieves both. Continue Reading An Indian Portia: Selected Writings of Cornelia Sorabji 1866 to 1954

This exciting new anthology show-cases 21 of the best short stories by South Asian women under the age of 40. Ranging from the lyrical to the humourous to the darkly disturbing, this collection highlights the desires, concerns and obsessions of young women from the subcontinent. A new generation of writers is emerging who are boldly tackling new forms and styles, including historical detective fiction, graphic short stories, stories intercut with email and sms messages. The stories are as varied as the women themselves, and celebrate the diversity and range of women’s literature for the twenty-first century.

Contributors include Ruchika Chanana, Paromita Chakravarti, Roohi Choudhry, Tishani Doshi, Shahnaz Habib, Epsita Halder, Anjum Hasan, Meena Kandasamy, Mridula Susan Koshy, Revati Laul, Madhulika Liddle, Anju Mary Paul, Swarnalatha Rangarajan, Adithi Rao, Diana Romany, Sumana Roy, Ashima Sood, Aishwarya Subramanyam, Nisha Susan, Narmada Thiranagama and Annie Zaidi.

Anita Roy is a freelance critic and writer. Brought up in England, she has been based in New Delhi for over a decade, working as a publisher and editor for a variety of national and international publishing houses. She is currently commissioning editor with Young Zubaan. Continue Reading 21 under 40: New Stories for a New Generation