Fehmida Zakeer is a distinguished Indian writer, translator, and journalist, celebrated for her contributions to contemporary Indian literature. Born in Thalassery, Kerala, and raised in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, her bicultural upbringing has profoundly shaped her literary sensibilities, allowing her to navigate and articulate the nuances of South Indian life with authenticity and insight. Her work consistently reflects a deep engagement with themes of culture, gender, and identity, making regional narratives accessible to a global audience.
As an independent writer, Zakeer has built an impressive and diverse portfolio, with bylines in some of the most respected publications both in India and internationally. Her articles and stories have appeared in prestigious outlets such as The Hindu, Al Jazeera, National Geographic, and Reader’s Digest, among many others. This extensive journalistic work demonstrates her versatility and her ability to engage with a wide range of topics for varied readerships. In addition to her writing, she holds a significant editorial role at The Bangalore Review, where she is responsible for essays and translation submissions, playing a key part in shaping the contemporary literary landscape.
Zakeer’s creative writing has been recognised through its inclusion in several notable print anthologies, such as “Pangea: An Anthology of Stories from Around the World” and “Ripples: Short Stories by Indian Women Writers.” She has also published her own collection of microfiction, “Canvas of Life and Other Stories,” and has another anthology, “Keeper of Secrets,” forthcoming. Her talent has been acknowledged through numerous accolades, including winning the Himal South-Asian short story competition in 2013 and being shortlisted for the DNA-Out of Print short story competition in 2014.
Perhaps her most significant contribution to literature is her translation of B.M. Zuhara’s “The Dreams of a Mappila Girl: A Memoir.” This work, which chronicles the coming-of-age of one of Kerala’s first Muslim women writers in the 1950s, was shortlisted for the prestigious Valley of Words Literary Prize in 2023. Critics have widely praised Zakeer’s translation for its skilful balance of cultural fidelity and accessibility. She adeptly preserves the unique flavour of the original Malayalam text, including regional dialects and cultural terms from the Malabar area, while ensuring the narrative resonates with an English-speaking audience.
This project ignited her interest in culinary narratives and the historical and cultural connections between India and the Gulf countries, particularly Oman—a theme she plans to explore in future fictional works. Through her sensitive and nuanced approach to translation, Fehmida Zakeer not only brings important regional stories to the forefront but also champions the voices of women writers, solidifying her position as a vital figure in Indian and South Asian literature today.