Dr Deepti Priya Mehrotra is a teacher, writer, storyteller and social scientist. Her latest book Her Stories: Thinkers, Workers, Rebels, Queens (2022) retells the lives of some 70 women, down the ages, reinterpreting available evidence and cutting away at androcentric biases.
She has a book on feminist street theatre, under publication. Also in the pipeline is a book on social movements of the 1970s and 80s; and a photo-archive of the women’s movement (of the 1980s).
Deepti’s writings include Home Truths: Stories of Single Mothers; and biographies of peace activist Irom Sharmila, and peasant activist Jaggi Devi. Her book Gulab Bai: the Queen of Nautanki Theatre describes the social history of the Nautanki genre and the life of an actor therein.
Deepti writes also in Hindi, including books on Irom Sharmila, Jaggi Devi, Gulab Bai, single mothers, and on the women’s movement, Bharatiya Mahila Andolan: Kal Aaj aur Kal.
Deepti has taught at Delhi University and elsewhere, and been a freelance consultant with civil society organizations, on gender, education, sexuality education and related issues. Her writings have been sporadically supported by fellowships, from India Foundation for the Arts; MacArthur Foundation; Indian Council for Philosophical Research; and Nehru Memorial Museum and Library.
She might like to spend the rest of her life singing movement songs and doing radical theatre; writing short stories; and helping set up community libraries filled with colorful, serious and interesting books.
