What We Inherit x City Book Room

“What is an Indian person supposed to look like?”

For Indian women in Singapore, questions that cast doubt on their identities are all too common. Expressions of identity that go against stereotype are often met with confusion and uncertainty – for example, when the race on their IC isn’t “Indian”, or when they study Chinese in school instead of Tamil.

These complications of Indian womanhood, among others, are explored at length in What We Inherit: Growing Up Indian, AWARE’s anthology of personal essays and poems by Indian women. Since the book’s launch in July, these stories have inspired stimulating discussions on gender and race in Singapore. We want to keep the conversation going!

Join us at City Book Room on 2 October, 3pm, for a free panel discussion and Q&A with three authors from What We Inherit: ila, Saraniyah D/O Saravanan and Jeyda Simren Sekhon Ataç. They’ll unpack their personal essays about Indian womanhood. Look forward to revelations about identities that fall outside of CMIO markers, feelings of displacement and writing as catharsis.

We’ll have copies for sale of both What We Inherit and Growing Up Perempuan, AWARE’s previous collection of Malay and Muslim women’s stories, at the venue. Also for sale: the zine (Re)collections: Postcards from Afar (proceeds go towards AWARE’s Helpline fundraising campaign).

This is an in-person event. Because the space is small, we only have a limited number of places available, so be sure to sign up quickly!