In Her Own Words: Letters & Interviews

This carefully curated, no-holds-barred collection includes letters written by Ismat to her family, separated by Partition; notes to her daughters and grandson; correspondence with editors of Urdu journals in India and Pakistan; and even a never-posted reprimand to a film actress, Saira Bano. At the same time, the eight in-person conversations are marked by sparkling spontaneity, revealing Chughtai's personal, literary and political preoccupations.

There is no relationship, no ideology—be it feminism, socialism or nationalism—that Ismat Chughtai didn’t embrace with her quintessential irreverence and wit. Here, in this one-of-its-kind volume, Chughtai is truly outspoken, unapologetic, telling it like it is, in her own words…