This Bandra library is encouraging more people to read books by women

Aqui Thami started Sister Library to encourage more people to read books by women authors. Photo Courtesy: Manjeet Thakur/Mid-day Lifestyle [ { "selector": ".imaoe-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "500ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateX(-309px)", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateX(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }]

When conducting reading interventions with Bombay Underground in Mumbai, Bandra-based Aqui Thami realised that people would opt to read more books by men than women. In fact, Thami realised some of he Lifestyle [ { "selector": ".imaoe-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "500ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateX(-309px)", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateX(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }]

Thami took on the challenge of reading books by women for a year and it was her best year of reading till then. Slowly, she started collecting and curating more books by women authors and even recomme Lifestyle [ { "selector": ".imaoe-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "500ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateX(-309px)", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateX(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }]

The Mumbai artist travelled to various cities around India and the world including Dhaka, Auckland and London with her library to interact with like-minded people and visit feminist libraries to learn Lifestyle [ { "selector": ".imaoe-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "500ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateX(-309px)", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateX(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }]

Now, Thami's library has over 1,000 books and 700 zines that delve into various topics on women. Interestingly, before the library came to be, it was a book club where women would read a book, meet an Lifestyle [ { "selector": ".imaoe-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "500ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateX(-309px)", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateX(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }]

Even the Covid-19 pandemic didn't stop Thami from continuing her work to encourage more people to read books by women. She started a publication called 'Sister Times' that included poetry, posters and Lifestyle [ { "selector": ".imaoe-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "500ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateX(-309px)", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateX(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }] Next Gallery