3 Modern Bengali Women Writers I Enjoy Reading

The first Bengali woman author I read was Ashapurna Debi. And then there was Leela Majumdar, followed by Nabanita Deb Sen and Nalini Das. They were the pioneers among women authors of the post-Rabindranath era, when many women authors held their own. Now, a question may arise: why am I not naming Mahasweta Debi? This is because I am talking about the ones I have read in serial form since my childhood. The above-mentioned women authors wrote many children's books. However, I had read Mahsweta Debi much later in life, during my college days, as her work mostly revolved around serious matters. Much later, I discovered again that she had also written many books for children, but I was not aware of those earlier. However, today, I would be talking about women authors who came after these stalwarts. So, without further delay, let's talk about the Top 3 modern Bengali Women authors I enjoy reading.

1. Suchitra Bhattacharya: Just as with any other author, my journey with Suchitra Bhattacharya's work began with her Mitin Masi series for kids. Much later, when I started exploring serious Bengali books by noted writers, I discovered her incredible treasure. Kacher Manush, Dahan, Ichhe, Anya Basanta- her work had always been spoken about, simple characters, going through the cycle of life to emerge stronger and resilient. Her work has been translated into English, Hindi and many other Indian languages.

2. Debarati Mukhopadhyay: It's been just a couple of years since I started reading her. And there was no looking back. My small bookshelf is loaded with her work, and what I enjoy most in her writing is the smooth flow, the easy language and the deep thinking of each character. Narach and Krishnasindhuki are her top 2 books (in my opinion). Other than that, her historical thriller Rudra-Priyam series includes books such as Narak Sanket and Glani Bhabati Bharat. Her English work, 7 Deadly Sinners, is a profile of 7 of India's most infamous criminals, including the story of Troilakya Tarini- India's first serial killer. 

3. Sangeeta Bandopadhyay: The first work I read by her was Ghaat, a story of a bank of a pond where a few working-class women meet and share their life stories.  I was so drawn to her writing style that I started reading a few more of her works, such as Bhoy, Korikhela, and Shankhini. Her strength lies in her versatility of topics and her boldness in narratives.

I would love to read more women authors of Bengali literature. Hopefully, I will update this list within a year. Let's cross my fingers.