Mary's Feminist Fiction Reading Group

Welcome to our Feminist Fiction Reading Group! A place to discover and enjoy a range of titles and themes lovingly hand picked by Mary. Woven together by feminist perspectives and critique, we will be discussing everything from unsung classics to contemporary literary fiction.

Longlisted for the 2025 International Booker Prize, Heart Lamp by writer, activist and lawyer Banu Mushtaq is our October pick. A glorious and sensitive window into South Indian culture, Heart Lamp brims with warming lyrical prose. This collection of short stories intertwines a plethora of themes presented to us by an author deeply involved with the challenges and revelations of her characters and the political and social landscape they inhabit. I can't wait for this one, do join me on the 7th for what I hope will be a truly interesting and dynamic discussion.

In the twelve stories of Heart Lamp, Banu Mushtaq exquisitely captures the everyday lives of women and girls in Muslim communities in southern India. Published originally in the Kannada language between 1990 and 2023, praised for their dry and gentle humour, these portraits of family and community tensions have garnered both censure from conservative quarters as well India's most prestigious literary awards. Written in a style at once witty, vivid, colloquial, moving and excoriating, it's in her characters - the sparky children, the audacious grandmothers, the baffoonish maulvis and thug brothers, that Mushtaq emerges as an astonishing writer and observer of human nature.

'A significant presence in Kannada literature, Banu Mushtaq reveals the varied realities of contemporary women with rare talent and art. Deepa Bhasthi's rich translation captures the original's nuances of voice, context and experience, bringing this important work into English for new readers in India and internationally.' PEN Presents Selection Panel

'With a tender heart and a sharp eye for nuance, Banu Mushtaq pens stories with deep contextual understanding of patriarchal institutions and with sympathy to the modern realities of contemporary Muslim women.' Joshua Jones

There’s no need to prepare or pressure to contribute at all - just bring your lovely self - but do feel free to mention a particular passage or character that you enjoyed during your reading.

Each entry place costs £5, fully redeemable as a voucher towards a copy of the book. We hope you’ll join us for some great conversation, and perhaps some themed baked goods!