In Us and Now

This book is a search. For a position, a community, a perspective. Led by the memories of what she experienced as the daughter of a patriarchal Indian family, Priya Basil describes the oppression of women, as well as their incredible resourcefulness, and discusses the questions that need to be answered on the way to justice and equality. In Us and Now is at once a self-discovery of elegant beauty and brilliant analysis.

Priya Basil grows up in Nairobi as the daughter of Indian immigrants. There, as in much of the world, a conservative, patriarchal value system determines what to do and what not. Women find different ways of arranging themselves. Priya’s grandmother is loud, flamboyant, assertive, while her daughter, Priya’s mother, is quiet, obedient, accommodating. Priya herself is sent to study at the best schools in England. She begins to search for another way, moves to Berlin, takes on the role of author and human rights activist, eschews motherhood and seeks new forms of kinship, of belonging. Yet, she finds, whatever you do, it's hard to slip the heavy heritage of gender expectations and her questions are getting louder: what can be done against misogyny and the deeply entrenched devaluation of women in our language, economy, history and society? With the help of many disciplines, with the help of many allies, Priya Basil formulates an answer: Becoming Feminist, In Us and Now.

»Basil‘s observations are accurate and important [...] Basil writes associatively, not only jumping between the many topics of feminism, her text also oscillates between theoretical discussions, political positions and biographical narratives from her family. In the first part of the book, titled ›Fight‹, this unusual mix works, especially because her arguments of gender inequality are essential« Hannah Bethke, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

»An illuminating stream of consciousness about her mother's silence, the misconceptions of the MeToo movement and the question of what we consider masculine today.« Claire Beermann, ZEIT Magazin

»In the end, the book is a celebration of the we – a community of women who are each other's ›shelter and open sky‹, who stand by each other with solidarity, perspectives and support.« Anne Waak, DIE WELT

»Basil subtly develops an important motif for the entire text: solidarity means closeness, touch. It’s about communication, the ability to have empathy. … [One comprehends] the text in its entirety as a continuation of the global conversation about feminism. About its contradictions, the various positions. [...] Basil's book stands out from the mass of current publications on feminism because it is less combative and more tenderly groping.« Marlen Hobrack, der Freitag

»The patriarchal conditions of her cosmopolitan family, her upbringing and her path to feminism are the focus of this autobiographical, associative essay. The old question of essentialism, which also informs the latest identity debates, runs through this text: Does a common destiny naturally make one solidary and ›woke‹? […] Basil does not offer conclusive answers, but stimulation and perspective.« Elke Schmitter, Der Spiegel

»A British, Kenyan, Indian author living in Germany, one of those contemporary authors whose life doesn’t fit between the covers of a book because it is just too incredible.« Wired

»Ultimately, Basil's book is a partly uncomfortable, partly dreamy collection of food for thought. ›Could sustainable living make us less sexist?‹ I'd like to try it.« Lea Luttenberger, taz. die tageszeitung

»Unsettling, disarming, intimate.« Antonia Groß, Berliner Zeitung

»In her new essay, she sets out to find her feminist voice. She confronts the patriarchal structures in which she grew up. She looks lovingly at her mother and grandmother. Because she knows there are never easy answers. She uncovers blind spots, spins a wide net and combines personal questions with critique of capitalism and society. Complex and always poetic. She has long been an important voice!« Miriam Böndel, Emotion

»A radical self-questioning.« MDR KULTUR, Non-Fiction Book of the Week

»A project in which Basil and other activists hijacked a women's magazine for one issue becomes a touchstone for her feminist position. The pitfalls are brilliantly described and reflected. Overall, the quality of this essay lies in its combination of analytical depth and literary language. [...] It takes courage to be feminist. After reading In Us and Now, one feels like having this courage.« BR

»What makes her books so unique for me is the mixture of cosmopolitanism, emotion, sharpness of thought. This cosmopolitanism is expressed in In Us and Now in such a way that she quotes many other feminist authors, incorporates them, makes connections, weighs up, does not claim that she, Priya Basil, has found the only formula of feminism, but – and this is a merit of the book – she gives a pointed impression of what is currently feminist action and thinking all over the world.« Thomas Böhm, rbb