Literature across Borders 2026: University Dialogue 3 - women in history fighting for their rights

In this pairing, we explore The Royal Rebel: The Life Of Suffragette Princess Sophia Dul and The Incredible Story of Savitribai Phule: The Fearless Reformer - stories that explore the lives of women fighting for their rights in the nineteenth century. The Royal Rebel: The Life Of Suffragette Princess Sophia Dul by Bali Rai: Rebel, Princess, Suffragette: this is the incredible true story of the life of Princess Sophia Duleep Singh, a forgotten heroine of the early twentieth century. Born in 1876, Princess Sophia Duleep Singh was the daughter of the last Sikh ruler of the Punjab, and goddaughter of Queen Victoria. After her father lost control of his empire and was exiled to England, Sophia had a privileged but troubled upbringing that left her unsure about where she belonged – in India or England. Sensitive to injustice, she became a suffragette and fought hard to win the vote for women. The Incredible Story of Savitribai Phule: The Fearless Reformer by Swati Sengupta One of India’s first woman teachers and female reformers, Savitribai Phule faced incredible opposition to her work when people attacked her not just with words but even with stones and dung. But nothing could stop her. This is the enduring story of a woman who looked at age-old injustices and prejudice in the eye, and overcame them with courage and the power of learning. Hosted by Dr Alexia Casale (Bath Spa University) and organised by LaB co-founder Meghaa Gupta. This dialogue is chaired by LaB alumna Mehak Bakhshi, who recently completed an MA in English at Ashoka University. The participants are as follows: Patsy Quinn is a second-year on BSU's MA in Writing for Young People. She lives in England and tutors neurodiverse students in English and History. Alison Woodhouse is a writer and teacher in the third year of a funded PhD in Creative Writing at Bath Spa. Publications include The House on the Corner (Ad Hoc Fiction, 2020) and Family Frames (V. Press, 2021) Samridhi Vohra is a student of MA English at the University of Hyderabad who likes to travel and explore different regions, cultures, and art forms. Her research interests lie in folk literature, art history, and comparative literary studies. Jaitra Kumar is a second-year student of Masters in English at University of Hyderabad. He likes stories and is an avid reader. Also, he's fond of music and late night rambling on empty roads. A caffeine addict who wonders and wanders too much! Angana Sinha Ray is a first year English PhD student at Ashoka University interested in questions of grief and translation.