Author Description

WOMEN WIDE AWAKE is a collection of stories, poetry, and photographs of sculptures that explore folklore from the region of Sindh, Pakistan. This multi-genre book features the stories of seven women, supernatural creatures, and mythical saints. It explores themes that have resonated with people for centuries, including courage, strength, defiance, and love. Two sisters building a labyrinthine palace to test their suitors... a bartendress makes a grave mistake... a witch takes revenge on those who have wronged her. These folktales have persisted across generations through oral storytelling and song. Contemporary sculptures--using found materials such as sari pieces, old wedding invitations, dried flowers, shells, pot shards and bones--accompany each story and provide a contemporary context, telling us why they matter to us today.WOMEN WIDE AWAKE is a collaborative collection by Pakistani sisters, Manahil and Nimra Bandukwala. The poetry and prose is written by Manahil. The sculptures were created and photographed by both Nimra and Manahil.Fiction. Poetry. Hybrid. Art. Middle Eastern Studies. Collaboration.