With generational silence shaping the experiences of millions of Indian girls, Girls Who Said Nothing and Everything serves as a candid, accessible record of girlhood, identity, and resilience, relevant for readers across India and the diaspora.
Through her essays, Meera Vijayann documents the realities of growing up female in 1990s India, and the enduring impact of silence on identity, mental health, and self-expression. This collection offers a candid, thought-provoking look at girlhood, shame, and resilience, making it accessible and relevant to readers across India and the diaspora.
The Stories Inside:
- The Cost of Silence: Growing up under constant pressure to “stay quiet” at home, school, and in love, these essays explore how silence shapes confidence, identity, and womanhood.
- Everyday Struggles: From navigating schools, academic pressures, and bodily autonomy to confronting societal norms and moral policing, the book sheds light on challenges Indian girls face daily.
- Family and Community Dynamics: Essays depict growing up amid family discord, financial constraints, and the strictures of conservative communities, showing how these forces influence personal growth.
- Finding Voice and Selfhood: Private experiences of shame, anxiety, and first love are transformed into storytelling and self-expression, offering a blueprint for reclaiming agency.
- Coming of Age: The collection traces the journey from adolescence to adulthood, reflecting how girls navigate societal expectations and reimagine womanhood beyond inherited constraints.
About the Author
Meera Vijayann is a writer, essayist, and activist based in Kirkland, Washington. Her work on sexual violence and gender issues in India has appeared in Catapult, Forbes, Silk Road Review, Electric Literature, and The Guardian. In 2014, her TED talk on experiencing sexual assault as a girl in India went viral, garnering over 1.1 million views. She continues to write, speak, and advocate on issues of gender, mental health, and social justice. Meera has received fellowships from Hugo House, the Poynter Institute for Media Studies, and the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, and has worked closely with the United Nations Foundation’s +SocialGood community to encourage young people to speak up against sexual violence.
