New book unveils ‘a sisterhood’ of Indian runners

Image via special arrangement

Sohini Chattopadhyay, an award-winning journalist and National Award-winning film critic, challenges conventional notions about women’s sports in her latest work, “The Day I Became a Runner.” The book boldly asserts that women engaging in the solitary yet public activity of running present a more direct challenge to patriarchy than those participating in more conventional sports like badminton, cricket, or tennis.

To substantiate this claim, Chattopadhyay weaves together the compelling narratives of female athletes spanning the entire history of independent India. From Ila Mitra, a potential trailblazer for the 1940 Olympics, to Mary D’Souza, a versatile athlete in the 1950s, and Kamaljit Sandhu, the first Indian woman to secure an individual gold in Bangkok in 1970, the book introduces remarkable women who left an indelible mark on post-independence India.

Published by HarperCollins India, ‘The Day I Became a Runner’ by Sohini Chattopadhyay will be released on 21 November on SoftCover, ThePrint’s online venue to launch non-fiction books.

The book offers an alternative perspective on India’s history, chronicling the nation through the lens of its female athletes. Chattopadhyay’s writing, characterized by remarkable insight and poignancy, paints a vivid picture of the role these women played in reshaping the landscape of sports in India. Her extensive accolades, including the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award and the Human Rights Press Awards citation, underscore the significance of her contribution to journalism and literature.

Udayan Mitra, Executive Publisher at HarperCollins India, said, “This is a brilliant work of narrative non-fiction. This is a history of modern India, seen through the unusual but very insightful lens of women’s sports.” 

Chattopadhyay said the book took her eight years to write. “I wanted to attempt to tell the story of India through the embodied experiences of women: what it is like to inhabit this nation as a woman citizen,” she says of her endeavour. 

The book, available in multiple languages, stands as a testament to Chattopadhyay’s dedication to preserving and sharing the untold stories of India’s female athletes.