“Yashpal: On Gender and Revolutionary Thought” New Book by Prof. Dr. Kama Maclean

The South Asia Institute is pleased to announce a new book edited by Prof. Dr. Kama Maclean and Simona Sawhney titled “Yashpal: On Gender and Revolutionary Thought”. This book is the outcome of an international workshop held at IIT Delhi in 2019. 

Writer and revolutionary worker Yashpal (1903–1976) was an important member of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA), a radical political group involved in India’s freedom struggle. After his arrest in 1932, he famously turned—in his own words—‘from bullet to bulletin’. This was the beginning of a long and prolific career as a novelist, short story writer, journalist and political commentator.

This book offers a reappraisal of Yashpal’s work and legacy, critically examining his crucial role in both the literary and the socio-political history of India and focusing on his preoccupation with questions of gender and sexuality. An international group of scholars, working in both Hindi and English, has contributed to this volume, which also features a personal essay by Yashpal’s son Anand.

A comprehensive volume on an inimitable figure in modern Indian history, it is essential reading for scholars of literature, cultural studies and those seeking to engage with modern Hindi literature.