Powered by female excellence, Sister Library in Bandra is a space of joy and reading

The old ways of reading have certainly been dying a slow death, however, there’s a large number of people who (thankfully) refuse to give up turning-the-page kind of book experience.

And one such place in Mumbai is the first South-Asian feminist library that is powered by female excellence - Bandra’s Sister Library. Home to books celebrating women, this library is a dimly lit, creative pink space that hopes to change the way the world perceives women. Also, did you know that they make funky jeans too?

The joy of curling up with a book while taking in the fresh musty smell of the pages, isn’t something that we’d consider a tradable commodity, and libraries help us keep this dying culture alive. Taking note of the same and entwining it with a vision, Sister Library is a place for writers seeking inspiration, two friends catching up for an inclusive workshop, monthly movie night, or just someone looking for some quiet me-time.

Sister Library took off in 2018, as a travelling library of 100 books, which toured cities all over India - from Delhi to Pune, Goa to Bengaluru, and now finally, Mumbai.

Here at Sister Library, you’ll come across works by seminal writers such as Audre Lorde, Virginia Woolf, Maya Angelou, Arundhati Roy and Gail Omvedt, alongside handmade zines by local women and girls. 

For sustainability, the library also focuses on manufacturing of jeans and has a whole set-up for the same - run entirely by the women of Dharavi. They often showcase their products at local exhibitions and workshops. Checkout their Instagram handle to stay upto date.

Hailing from Darjeeling, founder of Sister Library, 33-year-old Aqui Thami’s primary ambition behind this one-of-a-kind initiative in India, was to build a safe place for women and bring together readers who celebrate women at every step.

It was Thami’s personal book collection that filled the shelves of this library, initially. The books here include Patricia Hill Collins and Sirma Bilge’s Intersectionality, Clarissa Pinkola Estes’ Women Who Run With the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype and Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis, among many others.

With time, people came forward to contribute their books and help the place grow. Now the place stands firmly on it’s beliefs and hopes to build a strong sisterhood of creators and thinkers.

Instagram: @dallaekhorsani

Timing: Wednesday to Sunday, 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm

Address: 06 Xavier apartment, John the Baptist Road, Bandra West, Mumbai.