New Delhi, Sept. 6 -- Growing up in Srinagar, Maumil Mehraj, 28, noticed that many women enjoyed reading but rarely got a chance to discuss what they were reading. As a writer and researcher and a former teacher of English, talking about literature and books has always been important to her. In June, she returned home after living in Delhi for five years and launched The Reading Circle, a community-led literary initiative that brings women together through literature and conversation.

For centuries, the women of Kashmir have been central to transforming the political, cultural and literary landscape of the region. Literary giants like Lal Ded, Habba Khatoon and Arnimal, and political figures such as Kota Rani, Didda and Begum Jahan have ...