Jane Austen once wrote in one of her popular novels, “When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.” Until this day, the quote stands corrected but with a twist. The owner believes in a library which is on wheels! The Sister Library, started by artist Aqui Thami in 2018, is a travelling library situated in Bandra, Mumbai. The library started eight years ago as she was researching the subject of feminist works. Thus, a 100-book collection in 2018, now stands at 1,000 books and 700 zines. The travelling library crosses international borders and heads to countries like Nepal, Bangladesh and New Zealand.
The library is tiny but has an enormous collection of books. Ranging from J. K Rowling’s Harry Potter to Alice Walker To Patricia Hill Collins and Sirma Bilge and others. The main focus of the library revolves around the works of women authors. The books are available in different languages like Hindi, Urdu, Tamil, Telugu, Khasi, Assamese, Nepali, Marathi, Bengali and others. Thami is on the lookout for collecting more works of indigenous women in different indigenous languages.
Do not get deceived by the size of the library. This intellectual space is packed with stories, waiting to be read by curious visitors and subscribers. Unlike other places, this library provides spaces for people to pick their favourite books from the shelf and just leave.
With the help of Sister Press, started by Thami in 2020, a bimonthly published Sister Times and monthly zines. It is located in the library and caters to different subjects like women’s health, current affairs, feminist activities as well as book reviews.
Due to the covid-19 pandemic, the Sister Library had to be closed but now, it is back on track. The library takes part in hosting Mahila Mandali (Women’s Circle) and Monsoon School which teaches artistic practises which are accessible to women. A podcast goes by the name of Sister Radio, started in June 2020. Thami invites indigenous and Dalit women to talk about their culture and history.
The library is open to all. To become a member of the library, a refundable deposit of Rs 1,500 and a monthly subscription of Rs 500, have to be made.
