The best books to understand feminism include Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex, bell hooks’ Feminism Is for Everybody, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s We Should All Be Feminists and Nivedita Menon’s Seeing Like a Feminist. Together they cover theory, history, everyday sexism and Indian experience. This reading list of 18 books mixes short introductions, classic texts, fiction and Indian voices.
Feminism is often reduced to slogans online. Reading the original writers is the simplest way to understand what the ideas actually say, where they disagree and how they apply to life in India. Treat this list as a starting point, not a complete syllabus.
Quick picks by reader type
| If you want | Start with |
|---|---|
| A short first read | We Should All Be Feminists |
| An accessible introduction | Feminism Is for Everybody |
| An Indian perspective | Seeing Like a Feminist |
| Data and evidence | Invisible Women |
| Classic theory | The Second Sex |
| Fiction | Pinjar or The Bell Jar |
Introductions and short reads
1. We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
This short book is adapted from Adichie’s 2012 TEDxEuston talk and was published in 2014. She uses personal stories from Nigeria to explain why gender still shapes daily life. It can be read in under an hour, which makes it a good first book.
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2. Feminism Is for Everybody by bell hooks
Published in 2000, this is one of the clearest introductions to feminist thinking. bell hooks wrote it for readers with no background in theory. She argues that feminism is about ending sexist oppression, and that it benefits men as well as women.
3. A Brief History of Feminism by Antje Schrupp
This illustrated book, drawn by the artist Patu, traces feminist ideas from ancient times to recent decades in a comic format. It focuses mostly on Europe and the West, so pair it with Indian titles on this list for balance.
4. Women and Power: A Manifesto by Mary Beard
Based on two lectures by the Cambridge classicist, this 2017 book looks at how women have been kept out of public speech and power since ancient Greece and Rome. It is short, sharp and easy to follow.
Classic texts
5. The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir
First published in French in 1949, this is one of the founding texts of modern feminism. De Beauvoir examines how women have been defined as “the other” in relation to men through history, biology, myth and social custom. It is long, so many readers start with selected chapters.
6. This Bridge Called My Back
Edited by Cherrie Moraga and Gloria Anzaldua and first published in 1981, this anthology brings together essays, poems and letters by women of colour in the United States. It is a key text for understanding how race, class, sexuality and gender work together.
7. The High-Caste Hindu Woman by Pandita Ramabai
Published in 1887, this book by the scholar and social reformer describes the lives of upper-caste Hindu women in 19th-century India, from childhood to widowhood. Ramabai used it to argue for education and support for widows, and she later set up institutions for them.
8. Sultana’s Dream by Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain
Written in English and published in 1905, this short story imagines “Ladyland”, a country where women run society and men stay indoors. Rokeya was a pioneer of Muslim women’s education in Bengal. The story is often described as an early piece of feminist science fiction from South Asia.
Modern non-fiction
9. Seeing Like a Feminist by Nivedita Menon
Published in 2012, this book by the Delhi-based political scientist applies feminist thinking to Indian questions. It covers the family, the sexual division of labour, sexual violence, caste and debates around sex work and surrogacy. It is one of the most useful books for Indian readers.
10. Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez
This 2019 book shows how much of the world is designed around data collected mainly from men, from car safety tests to medical research and office temperatures. It won the Royal Society Science Book Prize in 2019. It suits readers who prefer evidence over theory.
11. Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit
The title essay, first published in 2008, describes a man explaining Solnit’s own book to her. It is widely credited with inspiring the word “mansplaining”, although Solnit did not coin the term herself. The 2014 collection adds essays on violence and silence.
12. We Were Feminists Once by Andi Zeisler
Published in 2016, this book looks at how feminism became a marketing tool. Zeisler argues that slogans on T-shirts and ad campaigns can draw attention away from the policy changes that matter more. It is a useful read for anyone working in brands or media.
13. I Call Myself a Feminist
Published by Virago in 2015, this collection brings together essays by 25 women under 30. The writers come from different backgrounds and discuss what feminism means to them today, including questions of race, faith, sexuality and gender identity.
14. How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran
This 2011 book mixes memoir and humour as Moran writes about growing up, work, marriage and beauty standards. It is light in tone, which makes it a comfortable entry point for readers who find theory heavy.
Fiction
15. Pinjar by Amrita Pritam
Published in Punjabi in 1950, this novel follows Puro, a young woman abducted in the years around Partition. It shows how violence and ideas of family honour shaped women’s lives during that period. It was adapted into a Hindi film in 2003.
16. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
Plath’s only novel, published in 1963, follows a young woman in 1950s America whose mental health breaks down under the pressure of the roles expected of her. It deals with depression, so readers should approach it with care.
17. The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing
This 1962 novel follows a writer who keeps four notebooks for different parts of her life. Its frank writing about women’s lives, politics and mental health made it influential. Lessing received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2007.
18. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
This 1985 novel imagines a state that strips women of rights and controls their bodies. It became widely discussed again after the television adaptation, and Atwood published a sequel, The Testaments, in 2019.
How to use this list
- Start with one short book, such as Adichie or hooks, before attempting de Beauvoir.
- Read at least one Indian writer, such as Menon, Ramabai, Rokeya or Pritam, for local context.
- Mix fiction and non-fiction. Novels often make the ideas easier to remember.
- Many of these titles are available in Indian bookshops and public libraries, and several have Hindi or regional translations.
For more reading lists, visit our education section and our lifestyle section.
Further reading: feminazis.
Frequently asked questions
Which book should I read first to understand feminism?
We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie or Feminism Is for Everybody by bell hooks. Both are short and written for general readers.
What are good Indian books on feminism?
Seeing Like a Feminist by Nivedita Menon, The High-Caste Hindu Woman by Pandita Ramabai, Sultana’s Dream by Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain and Pinjar by Amrita Pritam.
Who coined the word mansplaining?
Rebecca Solnit’s 2008 essay “Men Explain Things to Me” inspired the word, but she has said she did not coin it herself.
Is The Second Sex hard to read?
It is long and detailed. Many readers begin with its introduction and a few chapters before reading the full book.
Sources: Wikipedia: The Second Sex, Wikipedia: Sultana’s Dream, Nobel Prize: Doris Lessing, Royal Society Science Book Prize.
