‘Writing a Poem which Feels like Lighting a Pyre,’ ‘Pandemic Ghazal,’ and ‘Bhetki,’ Three Poems – Writing Women

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‘Writing a Poem which Feels like Lighting a Pyre,’ ‘Pandemic Ghazal,’ and ‘Bhetki,’ Three Poems

Rayan Chakrabarti

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Library of Feminist Legacies
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Essential Reading
Library of Feminist Legacies
Movements and Methods
Writing Sisterhood
In Translation
Record and Remembering

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Rayan Chakrabarti

Rayan Chakrabarti is a writer hailing from Kolkata. His poems have been published in MulberryLiterary and Mascara Literary Review among others. His work deals with the intersections of memory, nation and violence.

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“This issue is a rebellion, just as you are”

“This issue is a rebellion, just as you are”

In her piece on women, labour and resistance, guest editor Anjali shares her experiences about how these concepts intersect in her life, and how they frame our current call for submissions. As she illustrates “This call centres on the feminist axiom, ‘the personal is political,’ inviting personal essays and reflections on resisting oppression. Women’s struggles for fair wages, safe working conditions, and the recognition of unpaid and undervalued labour are foundational to workplace rights. Yet, their stories are often overlooked. We urge you to share these stories— of resistance, organizing, and solidarity.”

Read her full piece on writingwomen.co along with the original call for submissions released last week. A big thank you to those who have already submitted for the call and to everyone sharing it with friends and comrades, it’s been wonderful to see this enthusiastic response!

As you plan your submissions, a reminder that we’re not accepting pieces previously published, and if you have ideas you want to share we’re happy to offer feedback, but are not making selections based on pitches. More details available on the website, link in bio

Happy writing, waiting to read your work ❤️
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#womenlabourresistance #callforsubmissions #writingwomen #labourandresistance #womenslabour

“Sometimes, in the face of all this, it feels as

“Sometimes, in the face of all this, it feels as though nothing can be said. And yet Palestinians in Gaza continue to write…, continue to imagine a different world.”

Solidarity with the writers, makers, fighters and all people of Palestine, everyday. There are so many brilliant resources and writings made free to download for Read Palestine week and this is one of them, a powerful chapbook brought to life by Palestinian writers and poets, @arablitorg @publishers4palestine.

So don’t shop this weekend, download this instead, for the poems, and the list of actions at the end that we can all take to throw sand in the gears of genocide as Rasha Abdulhadi says, “Wherever you are, whatever sand you can throw on the gears of genocide, do it now”
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#andstillwewrite #readpalestine #solidaritywithpalestine #everyday

We’re ending the year with this call for inspira

We’re ending the year with this call for inspiration.

Every year it feels we’re dragged further into the hellish imagination of an unchecked ruling class, and every year, powerful shows of resistance are forged by ordinary people. This year alone, we have seen so much loving labour to organize against occupation, erasures and rising fascism. And more than often, it is women at the margins of class, caste, gender, race and more, who pour their labour into resistance, dreaming new worlds into being. This call is an attempt to recognize this labour, and to share these stories so they may light more fires, and make real, new dreams.

We’re excited to try a new co-editing model for this call with Anjali Chauhan, feminist researcher, writer and journalist with a focus on women, labour and politics. Together we welcome pieces that explore what labour and resistance mean in critical feminist contexts, and how women practice resistance. Consider how colonial and capitalist labour systems devalue women’s contributions; critiques of sexual, gender, or caste-based divisions of labour; or, diverse forms of resistance - ranging from quiet acts of everyday defiance, to collective movements for justice.

Submissions from people with lived experiences of labour struggles are especially welcome. We accept life stories with socio-economic or political critique, essays, photo essays, or creative nonfiction, between 1200-1500 words. All selected pieces, writing or artwork, will be paid $50 USD or the equivalent in local currencies.

See writingwomen.co or link in bio for details. We’re excited to read your work, and begin 2025 with stories that stoke our collective fires of resistance 🔥
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#submissioncall #writingwomen #womenslabour #collectiveresistance #communitylabour #anticapitalist #anticaste #anticolonial #organizing #emotionallabor #howwomenorganize #whatisfeministwork #creativenonfiction #essays #visualnarratives

“I can share with you the stories of people when

“I can share with you the stories of people when you were born. I can tell you how they felt when you were building a space for yourself, cutting through their river, corn fields, and forests. I can recount tales of families shattered by your announcement, your uninvited arrival.”

Fouziya Tehzeeb’s letter was prompted by a visit, but encapsulates a lifetime of experiences. We’re honoured that she shared it with us, so that we can share it with you. All the photographs are hers as well. It was very difficult to select excerpts for the slides here, and you really must read the full piece.

Find it on writingwomen.co or link in bio and follow @fouziyatehzeeb for more writing and beautiful photography.
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#writingwomen #letterstoaline #photographs #kashmir #womenswriting #creativenonfiction

What is reading if not bridge building, and how in

What is reading if not bridge building, and how incredible to read, and build bridges together

After talking about an online reading group for months, we’re finally here and delighted to grow our community of people in love with women’s stories. We’ll be reading women’s writing, mostly from the global south or diaspora, fiction and nonfiction (probably more nonfiction:), focusing on translated and intersectional feminist works

To start, we’ll be meeting once every two months, and to engage and broaden our circle of conspirators, each session will be co-facilitated by a guest reader or writer. Drop us a note if you’re interested in joining, we’ll organize, connect and support each other’s reading through an Instagram group, with discussion sessions on zoom

If you’ve been following our stories you probably already know that our first read is ‘The Many Lives of Syeda X’ by Neha Dixit @nehadixit123 , that centres the lives of women urban migrant workers through a brilliantly told account of one woman’s life, researched over decades. This first session will be co-facilitated by the wonderful Shruti Jain, @bookishruti , lover of women’s words and histories

In reading together we’re reminded of Gloria Anzaldúa’s words “Caminante, no hay puentes, se hace puentes al andar”, “Traveller, there are no bridges, one builds them as one walks.” Travel with us through women’s writing, to bridging, seeing, knowing, and being in our world, differently

Photo credit: @natasha_khurana forever book club conspirator 🌺
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#writingwomen #readingwomen #readingcircles #consciousreading #manylivesofsyedax #bookclubs #nonfictionreads #womenswriting #womenreadingwomen

“A bold account of those who dare to tell their

“A bold account of those who dare to tell their stories of struggle, and even go to jail for doing so. The book opens with this powerful statement, setting the tone for what the readers can expect: a deep exploration of the human spirit amidst the harsh realities of two regions most heavily militarized by the Indian State - Bastar and Kashmir.”

Adithya Kamesh’s review of Flaming Forest, Wounded Valley by Freny Manecksha details the strong parallels of state militarization and occupation in Bastar and Kashmir while also highlighting the book’s stories of resistance in the face of repression. His thoughtful review emphasizes the disproportionate impacts of violence on women and family, and connects to Indigenous struggles for land and life in our global world. On the making of transnational solidarities he offers, “These narratives offer hope and unite people across borders in a shared fight, reinforcing the undeniable power of collective resistance.”

Read the full review on writingwomen.co and see @adithya_kamesh for more writing and reviews 🌺
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#bookreviews #flamingforestwoundedvalley #storiesof #bastar #kashmir #frenymanecksha #narratives #collectiveresistance #transnationalsolidarities #readingwomen #nonfictionreviews #nonfictionnovember #writingwomen

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