Shrayana Bhattacharya on her 10 Favourite Books

Wages Of Love: The Uncollected Writings of Kamala Das, edited by Suresh Kohli, Harper Collins

A compilation of Das’s poetry, non-fiction and fiction, this is one of my prized possessions. The book has a tender introduction by Kohli, where he confesses his own infatuation with the writer. Das was a pioneer of what was once called ‘confessional writing’ in India. Her poetry and style perplexed and seduced so many readers.

Future Sex: A New Kind of Free Love by Emily Witt, Faber & Faber

One of the finest and funniest narrative non-fiction books I’ve read. Witt, in her early 30s, is trying to recover from a break-up and finds herself contemplating the future shape of her sex life. She decides to travel to the US West Coast to investigate alternative and ‘free’ sexual and romantic practices. The result is this dazzling book.

The Odd Woman and the City: A Memoir by Vivian Gornick, Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Gornick is the first lady of the contemporary memoir. In this book, she wanders about New York in her 60s. Full of gorgeous meditations on ageing, friendship, womanhood, loneliness and keeping oneself company, it offers a masterclass in writing about the self and the city.

A Space within the Struggle: Women’s Participation in People’s Movements, edited by Ilina Sen, Zubaan

This collection of essays sheds light on less visible and more practical aspects of women’s struggles and movements. The writing is remarkable in its diversity of voices and experiences. Capturing the battles fought by brick workers, landless labourers, fish-workers and environmental activists, this is a must read for anyone trying to understand the history and intricacies of grassroots women’s movements.

The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford, Hamish Hamilton

Nobody writes wicked delightful romances better than Mitford. The characters are deliciously complex and stylish. Set during the London Blitz, it is a powerful illustration of how the anxieties of geopolitical shifts creep into our intimate relationships.

Self-Portrait by Celia Paul, Jonathan Cape

An acclaimed British artist, Paul studied at the Slade School and was Lucian Freud’s lover for 10 years. In this stunning memoir, Paul tries to recover herself and her work from the shadow of Freud. “I am my own subject”, she says. A wonderful ode to the hard work of art and womanhood.

Sense and Solidarity: Jholawala Economics for Everyone by Jean Drèze, Permanent Black

Every student of social science should read this collection of essays. In its beautiful introduction, economist–activist Drèze outlines how the study of economics must be empathetic yet rigorous. It is a call to action to make research accessible and people-centric.

Poor Economics: Rethinking Poverty & the Ways to End it by Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo, Penguin

Nobel laureates Banerjee and Duflo help the reader understand the everyday economic lives and trade-offs made by marginalized communities and vulnerable workers. Drawing on extensive studies, what emerges is a lens that redefined development economics and how we understand the challenges of poverty and inequality.

Seeing Like a State: How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed by James C. Scott, Yale University Press

As long as governments deploy technology-enabled, top-down programmes, Scott’s pathbreaking work of anthropology will stay relevant. He reviews a subset of large government schemes and tries to explain why and how these failed. It changed the way I see governance, public administration and the development agenda.

The Art of Loving by Erich Fromm, Thorsons

Full of warmth and wisdom, this is essential reading to be a better human being. Fromm frames 'love' as an art, one that requires practice and generosity. In our current crisis of cynicism and hate, his treatise for a more loving society is one we can all benefit from.

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