About the foundation
From a lockdown Facebook page to a feminist press
Her Stories Foundation is a not-for-profit feminist publisher in Chennai, founded on social responsibility towards women and the queer community.
Our story
Her Stories started as a Facebook page during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. Three friends, two ardent feminists and one ally, posted every day on feminist issues, on the problems women face, and on what feminist history can teach. The conversations, run as #HerStoriesConversations, won the Laadli Special Mention Award for Gender Sensitisation (Tamil Social Media) in 2021.
In 2021 we launched herstories.xyz, a web magazine (now also in English) where women could publish their thoughts for every reader to find. Writers joined from Dubai, Theni, California, Canada, Chennai and Kumbakonam, from established names such as Sharmila Seyyid to first-time contributors. Dozens of series followed.
In June 2022 those series became books: we launched seven at once, with Tamil Nadu's Minister for Social Welfare and Women Empowerment, Geetha Jeevan, as chief guest. Since then we have published over 300 books on gender, introduced more than 50 women writers, and exhibited every year at the Chennai Book Fair since 2023.
We also translate into Tamil. Our list includes Annie Ernaux and Rose-Marie Lagrave's Une conversation (supported by Institut Français India) and the Norwegian children's book Let Me Help You (supported by NORLA). With two further IFI grants we are translating Memories of the Rose by Consuelo de Saint-Exupéry and Living with Men by Manon Garcia.
Founders
- Nivedita Louis
Feminist author and social historian who writes the history of subaltern and marginalised communities, along with archaeology, anthropology and ethnography. She left a Central Government job to write full time and has published more than a dozen books, among them Muthal Pengal, Paathai Amaithavargal, Adhichanallur Muthal Keezhadi Varai, Sindhuveli Nagarigam Kandupidikkappatta Kadhai, Ariyappadaatha Christhavam and the auto-fiction novel Whistle.
Vada Chennai Varalarum Vazhviyalum, her history of North Chennai, won the SRM Tamizh Perayam Puthumaipithan Award and the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers and Artists Association's K. Muthaiah Award. For her work on gender sensitisation through Her Stories she received the Laadli Media National and Regional Awards in 2024. She leads heritage walks, lectures on history, and organises lecture-demonstrations on subaltern music and literature.
Her own rights catalogue: niveditalouis.in
- Sahaana
Writes on feminism and for children, with more than 30 years in print media.
- Vallidasan
Writer, co-founder and publisher. Has held senior editorial posts, from associate editor to editor-in-chief, at Thulir, Chutti Vikatan, Dinakaran, Tamil Murasu, Kungumam, Kungumam Thozhi and Aval Vikatan. Conceived and planned the Aval Vikatan Awards, the Aval Vikatan Yummy Awards and the En Chennai Young Chennai Awards. For more than 30 years, has opened new spaces for writing by and for women and children.
Workshops
Training the next generation of writers
Pennezhuthu: feminist writing
Workshops guided by the feminist scholar V. Geetha.
Sirar Ezhuthu: children's writing
Feminist writing for children, led by the children's author Maa.
Pizhaiyindri Ezhuthuvom: write without errors
Tamil language and usage with Dr Ma. Rajendran.
Translation, short story, biography, non-fiction and Wikipedia writing
For women and queer writers at every stage.
Pengalai Purinthu Kolvathu Eppadi
"How to understand women": workshops for men.
Outings and night trips
Short tours, night walks and film evenings so women can meet other women and share their journeys.
Pennezhuthu Potti 2025
A writing prize for women
In 2025 we launched Pennezhuthu Potti, a competition for women writing new books across genres. Each winning book received ₹10,000 and was published in our 2026 catalogue.
See the prize-winning books“We offered space, and women took it like fish to water.”
From the Her Stories rights catalogue