Roohi Choudhry launches "Outside Women," in conversation with Hasiba Haq

Author Roohi Choudhry will be joined by co-presenters Aamnah Khan and Fabliha Yeaqub and conversation partner Hasiba Haq for readings, a discussion and audience Q&A, book signing, and reception.

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This event is supported in part by public funds from NYC Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

MOST ANTICIPATED FEMINIST BOOKS OF 2025 —MS. MAGAZINE

Would you risk your own life to pursue justice for a stranger? Two migrant women—separated by geographies and generations—face this same devastating choice.

Lured away from her home in 1890s India, Sita is brought to South Africa as an indentured servant—one among millions funneled by the British to replace the recently abolished slave trade. One hundred years later, Hajra, a Pakistani scholar, is forced to flee to New York City from her home in Peshawar after witnessing a violent act meant to target her. She loses herself in academic research until she comes face-to-face with a photo of a laughing, defiant young woman brandishing a banner in protest. Inexorably drawn to this woman, Hajra travels to South Africa to learn more and unknowingly traces Sita's path.

With raw imagery and rich sensory detail, Roohi Choudhry's incandescent debut novel Outside Women intertwines the narratives of two women painfully yet valiantly carving their existences outside of patriarchal and colonial spaces as they search for kinship and strength in solidarity.

Advanced Praise for Outside Women

"A riveting dual narrative of two South Asian women faced with similar moral dilemmas a century apart . . . the novel keenly portrays the power of female solidarity. The result is an incisive story of how change happens." —Publishers' Weekly

"A gripping historical novel that contrasts the abuses of patriarchy and misogyny with the power of women to stand for freedom, truth, and justice. Notable for its emotional depth, lively pace, and smooth transitions as it moves across time and continents, this complex, nuanced story . . . celebrates the strength of women and the warmth of human friendship and loyalty." —Foreword Reviews (Starred)

"With themes of feminism, colonialism, migration and autonomy, Outside Women is fierce and fresh." —Ms. Magazine

"Outside Women is a powerful and beautifully braided novel of personal and political history. Choudhry traverses continents and centuries with conviction and subtlety in this striking debut." —Peter Ho Davies, author of The Fortunes and The Welsh Girl

"Combining the reach of a historical saga with the propulsion of a mystery, Roohi Choudhry's tightly woven debut illustrates the power of sisterhood, legacy, and solidarity through the unforgettable stories of two defiant women living a century apart." —Lisa Ko, author of The Leavers and Memory Piece

"In her lyrical and luminous debut novel, Outside Women, Roohi Choudhry conjures a visceral yet dreamlike atmosphere. From South Africa to New York to Pakistan, this novel pulsates with the strength of its women, a narrative caught between centuries and oceans, obsessions, and an undying pursuit of justice." —Kali Fajardo-Anstine, bestselling author of Woman of Light and Sabrina & Corina

Roohi Choudhry is a writer, teaching artist, and researcher who lives in Kensington. Born in Pakistan and raised in southern Africa, she worked in criminal justice reform and public health, wrote for the United Nations, and facilitates creative writing workshops for interfaith groups, schools, libraries, and community organizations. She also holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of Michigan and is the recipient of a New York Foundation for the Arts fellowship. Her debut novel, Outside Women (University Press of Kentucky), was named one of the "most anticipated feminist books of 2025" by Ms. Magazine and described as “riveting… an incisive story of how change happens” by Publishers’Weekly. Find out more at roohichoudhry.com.

Born and raised in Brooklyn, Aamnah Khan organizes within her own neighborhood, Kensington, focusing on the needs of immigrant women and youth.

Fabliha Yeaqub is a multi-disciplinary artist, writer, and community organizer. Yeaqub is the founder of the Marigold Seeds Collective, a grassroots organization for LGBTQ+ South Asians and Indo-Caribbeans. Utilizing the many facets of her identity in her writing, Fabliha believes storytelling is a powerful tool to heal souls. Fabliha has also received acclaim from prominent publications such as Teen Vogue, NBC News, Them, and more.

Hasiba Haq has a decade of experience in storytelling, programming and production. She develops TED Talks for live and digital platforms, produces and directs short documentaries, and curates workshops and public programming. She's part of the Audacious Project at TED, a collaborative philanthropic initiative empowering social innovators to tackle the world’s most pressing challenges. In her hometown of Kensington, Brooklyn, she's developed arts and culture programming for immigrant women and youth. Most days, she's a modern renaissance woman—snagging a coveted reservation, carrying way too many things and complaining about the subway—all at the same time.

Host or Publisher Lofty Pigeon Books