Geetanjali
Shree

Geetanjali Shree is a celebrated Indian author who is renowned for her innovative narrative techniques, imaginative use of language, and exploration of themes such as memory, gender, family, and India’s complex history. Born in Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh, Shree initially pursued a career in history research before turning to creative writing. Her decision to write in Hindi was a radical choice that reflected her belief in the vitality of her mother tongue over English, which is favored by the educated elite. She has published five novels as well as short stories, plays, and essays, and her works have been translated into several European and Asian languages.

Shree’s debut novel, Mai (1993), subtly portrays the life of a quiet mother in a traditional North Indian household, as seen through the eyes of her daughter. It examines women’s emotional and social entrapment in patriarchy with restraint and insight. Hamara Shahar Us Baras (1998, eng. Our City That Year, 2024) directly addresses the impact of communal violence and riots on India’s Hindu and Muslim intellectuals, who are forced to redefine their alliances in the face of threats and radical politics. The novel’s depiction of a university under increasing surveillance, and the fading power of language to describe right-wing ideology, has proven prophetic.

Her most acclaimed work, Ret Samadhi (2018), translated as Tomb of Sand by Daisy Rockwell, tells the story of an eighty-year-old woman who, following her husband’s death, travels to Pakistan to confront memories of Partition and reclaim her identity. Rich in wordplay, mystery, metafiction, and non-linear narrative, the novel challenges conventional storytelling and questions the boundaries between countries, genders, generations, and genres. When the English translation won the 2022 International Booker Prize, it became the first novel written in a South Asian language to receive this honor.

Shree’s writing is renowned for its lyrical beauty, imagination, and fearless experimentation. She often starts with a single image—a roof, a door, or a woman’s back—and weaves elaborate scenes that evolve into a full-blown story which demands to be told. Her language is an elastic thread that binds together images, characters, and memories. She plays with words and sounds, crafting new expressions and surprising sentences.

At the heart of many of her stories are women of all ages who are both transgressive and resilient. They may be ageing, dying, unstable, or surviving the aftermath of violence and terrorism. She gives a voice to the voiceless: silent homemakers, supportive friends, children, and even inanimate or non-human objects such as roads, doors, and birds. For Shree, language is her home—a playful, creative space in which storytelling becomes an act of defiance and discovery. Her stories offer new perspectives, inviting readers into unexpected worlds and challenging conventions to open up new ways of seeing and feeling.

Text: Justyna Kurowska