Where to Find Rokeya’s Works: English Translations & Reading Guide
Introduction to Begum Rokeya’s Works
Understanding Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain’s – রোকেয়া সাখাওয়াত হোসেন literary work becomes more meaningful when considering her life circumstances, thoroughly explored in the detailed biography I’ve organized covering her personal and professional journey.
Begum Rokeya Books in Bangla
- Rokeya Rachanabali – Complete Works of Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain by editor Abdul Qadir
Publisher: Bangla Academy, 1971
- Rokeya Jiboni (রোকেয়া জীবনী) by Shamsunnahar Mahmud
The first comprehensive biography of Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain
Publisher: Noya Udwog in Calcutta, 1935
List of Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain’s Bangla Writing
1. Padmarag – পদ্মরাগ
- English Translation: The Ruby or The Essence of the Lotus/Ruby
- Format: Novella
- Publication: First published in Bangla in 1924 in book format
- Dedication: Based on real-life experiences as school administrator and stories of Muslim, Hindu, and Christian female teachers at Sakhwhat Memorial School
2. Motichur Volume 1 – মতিচুর
- English Translation: String of Pearls Volume 1
- Format: Collection of essays
- Publication: 1904
- Volume 1 Dedication: Rokeya’s elder brother Ibrahim Saber who taught her English and was supportive of female education, arranged her marriage to another progressive man: Shakhwat Hossain
- Volume 1 Table of Contents:
- Third (Pipasha) 1901
- The Woman’s Downfall / The Degradation of Women (Istrijatir Abanati)
- The Female-half / The Better Half (Ardhangi)
- Home (Griha)
- The Inoffensive Bengali (Niriho Bengali)
- The Good Housewife (Sughrihini)
- The Burkha
3. Motichur Volume 2 – মতিচুর
- English Translation: String of Pearls Volume 2
- Format: Collection of essays and stories
- Publication: 1922
- Volume 2 Dedication: Rokeya’s elder sister Karimunnessa who encouraged her to learn to read and write in Bangla
- Volume 2 Table of Contents:
- Gyanfal (The Knowledge Fruit / The Fruit of Knowledge)
- The Creation of Woman (Nari-srishti)
- Nurse Nelly (Nurse Nelly)
- The Theory of Creation / Origin of Creation (Srishti-tawtho)
- The Fruit of Freedom / The Fruit of Emancipation (Mukti-phal)
- Childcare (Shishopalon)
- The Murder of Delicia (Delicia Hatya) – (Summary and commentary written in Bangla of Marie Corelli’s 1896 English mystery novel)
- The Solar System (Saurajagat)
- The Light of Islam (Nur Islam)
4. Aborodhbashini – অবরোধ বাসিনী
- English Translation: The Secluded Ones / The Zenana Women
- Format: Collection of 47 journalistic vignettes documenting purdah customs all over North India (Hindu and Muslim)
- Publication: 1931, first serialized in Bengali periodical Monthly Mohammadi, later published as a book in 1931
- Dedication: Rokeya’s mother Rahatunnesa Sabera Chaudhurani, who was an ardent supporter of purdah tradition
- Historical Significance:
- First book by a Bengali Muslim woman written in Bangla documenting purdah customs
- Strictly nonfiction reportage presenting authentic incidents highlighting absurdity of external seclusion imposed on women and particularly Bengali Muslim women in North India.
- Rokeya’s main concern was of the situation and status of Muslim women, she was well informed and aware about the exploitation and oppression of women in other societies.
5. Essays by Begum Rokeya
- Woman Worship (Nari-puja)
- Bengal Women’s Educational Conference: President’s Address (Bongiyo Nari-shikha Samiti)
- The Hidden Jewel (Lukano Ratan)
- The Dawn (Subho Sadeq)
- In a Land of Seven Hundred Schools (Satsho School-er Desh-e)
6. Poems by Begum Rokeya
The Appeal (1921)
Nirupam Bir – Incomparable Warrior (1922) first published in Sadhana
English translations of these two poems by Kalyani Dutta published in the book: Freedom Fables: Satire and Politics in Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain’s Writings (2019)
List: Begum Rokeya’s Work in English
These are the works written originally in English by Begum Rokeya
Sultana’s Dream – Sultanar Shopno – সুলতানার স্বপ্ন
- Bangla: Sultanar Shopno
- Format: Short story feminist utopian science fiction
- Publication: 1908 in The Indian Ladies Magazine, Madras, India
In my personal reading journey reflections, I describe my transformative experience when encountering this groundbreaking text and discuss why I believe it remains so relevant today.
Essays by Rokeya written in English
-
- God Gives, Man Robs (1927) – first published in The Mussalman, edited by Mujibur Rahman
- Education Ideals for the Modern Indian Girls (1931) – first published in The Mussalman, edited by Mujibur Rahman
Letters by Rokeya
These letters were written to the editor of The Mussalman originally in English
English Translation books of Rokeya’s work
- Sultana’s Dream and Padmarag by Rokeya Hossain
Translator: Barnita Bagchi
Publisher: 2022, Penguin Random House, A Penguin Classics Edition
Available: Amazon & Bookshop
Note: 2022 edition includes two essays by Rokeya originally written in English
- God Gives, Man Robs (1927)
- Education Ideals for the Modern Indian Girl (1931)
Book Cover Art: Chitra Ganesh (2018)
You can see and learn more about her other artwork in the Sultana’s Dream series HERE & HERE
Other Artwork inspired by Sultana’s Dream
Illustration by Pakistani artist Shehzil Malik featured on her Instagram post and in Daily Star article.
Presented by: Goethe-Institut Bangladesh and HerStory Foundation
Free Audio Reading of Sultana’s Dream on YouTube
2. Sultana’s Dream and Selections from The Secluded Ones
Translator & Editor: Roushan Jahan – Bangladeshi literary scholar and feminist activist
Afterword by: Hanna Papanek
Publisher: 1988, The Feminist Press at CUNY
Available: Amazon
3. The Essential Rokeya. Selected Works of Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain (1880-1932)
Translator: Mohammad A. Quayum
Published: 2013, Brill
Available: Amazon
Note #1: Translation is based on the text of the written in Bangla in Rokeya Rachanabali (2015) edited by Abdul Quadir published by the Bangla Academy.
Note #2: this book may be expensive to purchase for some readers on both the publisher’s website and on Amazon. I have written a summary of the biography section for readers who may not be able to purchase the book at this time and to advance my mission of making accurate information about Rokeya’s life and work be easily accessible and freely available.
4. Motichur: Sultana’s Dream and Other Writings of Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain
Translators: Ratri Roy and Prantosh Bandyopadhyay
Foreword by: Farah Ghuznavi whose great-great-grandmother is Karimunnessa Khanam (Rokeya’s elder sister who encouraged her to learn Bengali and was a poet herself)
Publisher: 2014, Oxford University Press
Available: Bookshop and Amazon
5. Freedom Fables: Satire and Politics in Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain’s Writings
Translator: Kalyani Dutta
Publisher: 2019, Zubaan Books
Available: Amazon
Rokeya’s Work Translated in International Languages
Rokeya’s Work translated into other languages
German
Title: Bildnis von Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain
Translator: Dr. Golam Abu Zakaria
Available: Amazon
Additional Info: News Article on Book Publication in German
Spanish
Title: Obra escogida, El sueño de Sultana
Series: Memoria de Mujer, volume 13
Translator: Jorge Diego Sánchez
Publisher: Ediciones Universidad de Salamanca (2018)
Available: Amazon and Casa del Libro
Title: Translator: Isabel Miguel
Available: Amazon and Casa Del Libro
Title: El sueño de Sultana
Translator: Lucía Bartolomé
Available: No longer listed on Amazon
Portuguese
Title: O Sonho da Sultana
Translator: Lady Sybylla
Italian
Title: Il sogno di Sultana
Available: Amazon
Title: Il sogno della pace
Translator: Cinzia Ghigliano
Available: Amazon
Turkish
Title: Sultana nin Ruyasi
Available: Amazon
How To Find English Translations of Rokeya’s Books For Free
Other than buying the books directly, here are some other ways to read English Translations of Rokeya’s books for free.
- Search Public Library Book Catalog: check local library catalog system to see if any of the books listed on this page are already included in the public library catalog.
- Interlibrary Loan System: if the books are not listed in catalog, then you can ask your local library branch staff regarding borrowing from another library across the USA through the (Mobius, Prospector, and etc.) which most public libraries are part of in the USA.
- Suggest a Book for Purchase: you can sometimes submit an official request through your public library account and they may consider for purchase to add to the permanent collection
Of course, approval of book purchase and inclusion to the wider permanent public library collection is not guaranteed but this is another way to get Rokeya’s work added to the permanent local library collection.
By adding to your public library collection, you are doing the following:
- Contributing to the diversification of public library book collection
- Increasing accessibility for other readers to be able to enjoy Rokeya’s work.
For a broader overview of Rokeya’s significance and impact, visit my Rokeya Resource Hub which serves as a starting point for exploring her legacy.
May 2025: Rokeya’s Work Added To My Local Library Collection
I’m thrilled to share the following book has been added to my local library’s permannet collection after I submitted an official request through my library account!
Book: Freedom Fables: Satire and Politics in Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain’s Writings by Kalyani Dutta
How To Contribute
If there is an online bookstore or other resources other than what’s been mentioned on this page where readers can purchase or access Rokeya’s work in your country, please contact me and I will add to this page.
Further Reading & References
Book: A Feminist Foremother: Critical Essays on Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain edited by Mohammad A. Quayum and Md. Mahmudul Hasan
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