Four celebrated Tamil women writers you must know

A community’s progress is measured by the degree of progress achieved by its women, said B R Ambedkar. And one of the measures of women’s advancement is the body of women’s literature produced from the community. On International Women’s Day today, we take a look at four illustrious women writers you must read.Kamala LaxmanAuthor of several children’s books, she is also well-known as the wife of cartoonist R K Laxman. Hailing from Chennai, she completed her education in Delhi. She is renowned for her works such as The Thama Stories, Raman of Tenali and Other Stories, Thama and His Missing Mother.C S LakshmiBetter known by her pseudonym Ambai, C S Lakshmi is one of the most prominent feminist writers in contemporary Indian literature and a researcher in women’s studies. Hailing from Coimbatore, she grew up in Mumbai and Bangalore. She writes both in Tamil and English, and her famous works include The Face behind the mask : Women in Tamil literature, The Unhurried City – Writings on Chennai, Nandimalai Charalilae, Andhi Malai, Sirakukal muriyum.Githa HariharanWinner of the Commonwealth Writer’s Prize for her first novel The Thousand Faces of Night, Githa Hariharan is a prolific writer of novels, short fiction, and essays, as well as short stories for Children. She is known for works such as The Winning Team, When Dreams Travel, The Ghosts of Vasu Master.Meena KandasamyA poet, fiction writer, translator, and activist, her oeuvre consists mostly of works on feminism and the Caste Annihilation Movement. She is also a staunch vocalist of corruption, violence, and women’s rights in her works. Ms. Militancy, The Gypsy Goddess, When I Hit You: Or, A Portrait of the Writer as a Young Wife are some of her works.