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American Letters

Herawati Latip
1941
Barnard College, New York, NY (Original Language: English)

Across the Pacific August 24. (pg. 19): How queer that after having been two years in Japan, I finally met the right girlfriend on the boat bringing us to America. I just met her tonight. She is Japanese, not that pale white woman face, but she is just like any other modern girl. Modern in …

How I learned to Read and Write

Bibi Ashraf
1899
Lahore, Punjab (Original Language: Urdu)

The original essay appeared in two instalments in Tehzib-e Niswan (Lahore) (23 and 30 March 1899).  It was then published with a biographical introduction by the journal’s editor, Muhammadi Begum, in a book entitled Hayat-e Ashraf (Lahore: Imambara Sayyida Mubarak Begum, n.d.).  The essay has been translated from this source with a biographical introduction to …

Some Reminiscences of Kashmir

Atiya Fyzee
1906
London, England

A journey from Bombay to Kashmir via Ahmadabad, Jaipur, Agra, Delhi, Amritsar, and Lahore affords, especially to a Purdahnasheen, all the new experiences that she may wish, and reveals many of India’s varied interests, ancient and modern. Among the latter, I may mention that a Jaipuri lady lavished upon me the utmost commiseration because she …

Roznamcha

Nazr Sajjad Haidar
1942
Dehradun, India (Original Language: Urdu)

EXTRACT ONE 26 May 1912: Today was the most important day of life. When I woke up in the morning to offer my prayers, I saw a different atmosphere in the house. My elder female relatives were busy in arrangements for hosting someone. Everyone in the house including its younger as well as elder members …

Diary – Tehzib al-Nisvan

Nur un-Nisa’ Begum
1943
India (Original Language: Urdu)

Every human being has the right to write a diary. Neither fame nor anonymity can keep anyone deprived of this freedom. Events, incidents and disclosures comprise the definition of life. If the diary of Macaulay tells us that he spent every moment of his life in some constructive engagement, then the diary of a poor …