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Stories for South Asian Supergirls
Discover 50 inspirational stories of South Asian women and their INCREDIBLE achievements.
Featuring stories of success from award-winning entertainers Jameela Jamil and Mindy Kaling, as well as pioneering business leaders Indra Nooyi, Anjali Sud and Ruchi Sanghvi. South Asian Supergirls also features equally remarkable yet less well known figures, such as the British Muslim spy, Noor Inayat Khan.
Perfect for fans of Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls , this heartwarming read is the ideal gift for young readers.
Each profile has been paired with a delightful illustration from one of ten South Asian artists, this is a book for all ages - treasured by parents and children alike.
Praise for South Asian
One of the most beautiful and visually stimulating books I've seen for a long time - The Morning Star
This call to courage celebrates warrior queens of Bangladeshi, Indian, Nepalese and Pakistani heritage - The Guardian
Heartwarmingly full of the power, resilience and ingenuity of South Asian women - Book Trust
Featuring stories of success from award-winning entertainers Jameela Jamil and Mindy Kaling, as well as pioneering business leaders Indra Nooyi, Anjali Sud and Ruchi Sanghvi. South Asian Supergirls also features equally remarkable yet less well known figures, such as the British Muslim spy, Noor Inayat Khan.
Perfect for fans of Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls , this heartwarming read is the ideal gift for young readers.
Each profile has been paired with a delightful illustration from one of ten South Asian artists, this is a book for all ages - treasured by parents and children alike.
Praise for South Asian
One of the most beautiful and visually stimulating books I've seen for a long time - The Morning Star
This call to courage celebrates warrior queens of Bangladeshi, Indian, Nepalese and Pakistani heritage - The Guardian
Heartwarmingly full of the power, resilience and ingenuity of South Asian women - Book Trust
144 pages, Paperback
First published March 8, 2019
9 people are currently reading
458 people want to read
About the author
Raj Kaur Khaira
4 books2 followersShe is the Co-Founder and Deputy Global CEO of AutogenAI, a company that has developed a specialist tool designed specifically for the complex task of managing and writing winning proposals. AutogenAI works with some of the world’s largest public services suppliers, and its clients are reporting significant results: an 85% efficiency gain, a 30% increase in win rates, and an eightfold increase in the productivity of proposal writing teams. Backed by renowned investors including Salesforce, Blossom Capital, Spark Capital, and Nat Friedman, AutogenAI is transforming how enterprise businesses compete and win deals.
Before co-founding AutogenAI, Khaira built a career as a "fixer" in SaaS start-ups and high-growth companies, where she identified, diagnosed, and solved operational problems that were limiting growth. Her work spanned multiple business functions, including product development, customer success, support, finance, HR, legal, process management, and marketing/go-to-market. In every role, she acted as a catalyst for collaboration, implemented meaningful change, and helped incubate new roles and functions.
She is passionate about problem-solving, data analytics, and the challenge of building scalable systems.
Outside of her professional career, she is deeply committed to causes related to women’s rights, social mobility, and access to justice. In her spare time, she leads the Pink Ladoo Project, a global gender-equality movement she founded.
She is also an author. Her debut book, Stories for South Asian Supergirls, was released on 16 May 2019. It was named ‘Children’s Book of the Week’ by The Times and featured as one of the Observer and Guardian’s children’s books of the month. All royalties from the book are donated to charity. Her second book, The Night the Reindeer Saved Christmas, was released on 1 October 2020 by Bonnier Books to rave reviews. In 2021, Supergirls was acquired by Penguin from Kashi House in a major publishing deal, with volume two set for release in Spring 2025. More information is available at southasiansupergirls.com.
She is also the founder of southasiantherapists.org, the world’s first global directory of South Asian therapists. The platform connects South Asians worldwide with mental health providers from similar cultural backgrounds and aims to demystify therapy for the diaspora. Launched in June 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is now the largest community of South Asian mental health professionals in the world.
Before co-founding AutogenAI, Khaira built a career as a "fixer" in SaaS start-ups and high-growth companies, where she identified, diagnosed, and solved operational problems that were limiting growth. Her work spanned multiple business functions, including product development, customer success, support, finance, HR, legal, process management, and marketing/go-to-market. In every role, she acted as a catalyst for collaboration, implemented meaningful change, and helped incubate new roles and functions.
She is passionate about problem-solving, data analytics, and the challenge of building scalable systems.
Outside of her professional career, she is deeply committed to causes related to women’s rights, social mobility, and access to justice. In her spare time, she leads the Pink Ladoo Project, a global gender-equality movement she founded.
She is also an author. Her debut book, Stories for South Asian Supergirls, was released on 16 May 2019. It was named ‘Children’s Book of the Week’ by The Times and featured as one of the Observer and Guardian’s children’s books of the month. All royalties from the book are donated to charity. Her second book, The Night the Reindeer Saved Christmas, was released on 1 October 2020 by Bonnier Books to rave reviews. In 2021, Supergirls was acquired by Penguin from Kashi House in a major publishing deal, with volume two set for release in Spring 2025. More information is available at southasiansupergirls.com.
She is also the founder of southasiantherapists.org, the world’s first global directory of South Asian therapists. The platform connects South Asians worldwide with mental health providers from similar cultural backgrounds and aims to demystify therapy for the diaspora. Launched in June 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is now the largest community of South Asian mental health professionals in the world.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
May 18, 2019
An absolutely wonderful, inspirational collection of biographies celebrating the South Asian superwomen out there, some already known and some lesser-known, but no less inspirational.
What a brilliant book to show our girls what they can aspire to be!
What a brilliant book to show our girls what they can aspire to be!
December 2, 2021
Stories for South Asian Supergirls: A Treasure Trove of 50 Illustrated Biographies of Amazing South Asian Women is a children's picture book anthology of mini-biographies written by Raj Kaur Khaira and illustrated by Anu Chouhan, Deepikah R. Bhardwaj, Kokila Bhattacharya, Meenal Patel, Nazrina Rodjan, Poonam Saini, Raj Kaur, Sandeep Johal, Suman Kaur, and Vinny Soor. It is a collection of fifty tributes of influential South-Asian Women.
For the most part, this treasury is written and constructed extremely well – it is far from perfect, but comes rather close. In no particular order, these fifty mini-biographies is a two-page spread with a two-columned biographical text on the left page and a full-page portrait on the right done by one of the ten South-Asian women artist listed above. Backmatter includes a timeline with introductions to the ten artists of the anthology.
Khaira had chosen fifty influential women from Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Bhutan. The women tribute ranges from a diverse background from a prominent suffragette, an Indian princess, prime ministers, authors, and everything in-between. In short, it is a wonderful collection of biographies that redresses the imbalance for young girls of color. Furthermore, it is illustrated by ten renowned South Asian women artists.
All in all, Stories for South Asian Supergirls: A Treasure Trove of 50 Illustrated Biographies of Amazing South Asian Women is a wonderful collection of inspirational mini-biographies, who just happens to be women from South Asian descent.
For the most part, this treasury is written and constructed extremely well – it is far from perfect, but comes rather close. In no particular order, these fifty mini-biographies is a two-page spread with a two-columned biographical text on the left page and a full-page portrait on the right done by one of the ten South-Asian women artist listed above. Backmatter includes a timeline with introductions to the ten artists of the anthology.
Khaira had chosen fifty influential women from Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Bhutan. The women tribute ranges from a diverse background from a prominent suffragette, an Indian princess, prime ministers, authors, and everything in-between. In short, it is a wonderful collection of biographies that redresses the imbalance for young girls of color. Furthermore, it is illustrated by ten renowned South Asian women artists.
All in all, Stories for South Asian Supergirls: A Treasure Trove of 50 Illustrated Biographies of Amazing South Asian Women is a wonderful collection of inspirational mini-biographies, who just happens to be women from South Asian descent.
November 28, 2019
Each woman of South Asian descent featured in this collection gets a 2 page spread, a 1 page bio and 1 page illustration (all done by female artists of South Asian descent).
[Warning: I wrote this in deep frustration of not finding what I had hoped to be in this book. The book itself is good for what the author's intended. I am just on an endless hunt for books about Asian women and I keep coming up with startling little. So take what I say with that grain of salt.] I work in an international school in Asia and I was looking forward to adding this to our library to have examples of Asian women role models for our students, but upon reading it I discovered that only 12 or 13 of the women in this book actually live (or lived) primarily in Asia. The majority of them live and accomplished the feats for which they are recognized in the US, UK, or Europe. I'm really torn over the message that sends to the Asian girls at my school. "You can do great things...but you'll need to leave the continent to do so." Asia needs movers and shakers right here. There are over a billion people in India alone currently living (never mind all the historical options) and you're telling me they couldn't find more than 13 women living (or who lived) in South Asia who've accomplished something worthy of praise or recognition?!? India and Pakistan have both had female prime ministers and neither of them made it into this book, but a girl who has lived all her life in the Americas and became a Youtube star made it.**[Note: See the author's comment. I'm now glad she didn't include those Prime Ministers...and she clarified the goals of the book.] Just a little concerned about the overall message this book sends. Yes, it does get across that young women of South Asian descent can rise to become stars and that's great. But who are the women on the ground in South Asian countries really impacting their world? Who are the unsung heroes, the ones who don't necessarily get the spotlight or recognition that they deserve, quietly making waves in their communities for good? That's a book we need for South Asian girls. The message that your face doesn't need to end up on computer screens or silver screens or book covers to matter, and sadly there's very little of that in here. Maybe that's my fault for having certain expectations too high. I'm tempted to give it just 2 stars because of my disappointment, but I'll boost it to 3 stars because I did like that they had female illustrators of South Asian descent do all the artwork which was a nice touch. If you're looking for a list of famous women of South Asian descent, that's mostly what this is and you'll love it.
Notes on content: No language issues. Some of the women are recognized for their LGBTQ activism (no sexual details) and one for daring to live with a man before marriage (again, no details). A couple of the historic figures were warrior queens of South Asia and led troops into battle. No gory details about battles, but there's also a high percentage of them who died early, violent deaths.
[Warning: I wrote this in deep frustration of not finding what I had hoped to be in this book. The book itself is good for what the author's intended. I am just on an endless hunt for books about Asian women and I keep coming up with startling little. So take what I say with that grain of salt.] I work in an international school in Asia and I was looking forward to adding this to our library to have examples of Asian women role models for our students, but upon reading it I discovered that only 12 or 13 of the women in this book actually live (or lived) primarily in Asia. The majority of them live and accomplished the feats for which they are recognized in the US, UK, or Europe. I'm really torn over the message that sends to the Asian girls at my school. "You can do great things...but you'll need to leave the continent to do so." Asia needs movers and shakers right here. There are over a billion people in India alone currently living (never mind all the historical options) and you're telling me they couldn't find more than 13 women living (or who lived) in South Asia who've accomplished something worthy of praise or recognition?!? India and Pakistan have both had female prime ministers and neither of them made it into this book, but a girl who has lived all her life in the Americas and became a Youtube star made it.**[Note: See the author's comment. I'm now glad she didn't include those Prime Ministers...and she clarified the goals of the book.] Just a little concerned about the overall message this book sends. Yes, it does get across that young women of South Asian descent can rise to become stars and that's great. But who are the women on the ground in South Asian countries really impacting their world? Who are the unsung heroes, the ones who don't necessarily get the spotlight or recognition that they deserve, quietly making waves in their communities for good? That's a book we need for South Asian girls. The message that your face doesn't need to end up on computer screens or silver screens or book covers to matter, and sadly there's very little of that in here. Maybe that's my fault for having certain expectations too high. I'm tempted to give it just 2 stars because of my disappointment, but I'll boost it to 3 stars because I did like that they had female illustrators of South Asian descent do all the artwork which was a nice touch. If you're looking for a list of famous women of South Asian descent, that's mostly what this is and you'll love it.
Notes on content: No language issues. Some of the women are recognized for their LGBTQ activism (no sexual details) and one for daring to live with a man before marriage (again, no details). A couple of the historic figures were warrior queens of South Asia and led troops into battle. No gory details about battles, but there's also a high percentage of them who died early, violent deaths.
May 14, 2019
Beautiful art! Great stories! Awesome women! And I am so grateful it exists! We need more representation of women who should be celebrated, who should be honoured for being brilliant and fantastic and this book is a step forward to that! Definitely recommend for everyone.
March 17, 2021
Some well-known trailblazers, others less so. Nonetheless, loved seeing all these South Asian women profiled for their efforts in bringing equality to the forefront of their cause from centuries ago. Also fascinated by the incredible talent of the illustrators; loved reading their bios at the end as well to see how they’re paving the way for future generations to pursue their creative dreams.
August 18, 2025
It is wonderful to read beautiful and inspiring stories about women who stand up for themselves and others, doing what is right. The illustrations, created by South Asian artists, are also quite lovely.
November 18, 2019
I thought the premise of this was really great, but I don't feel it was as well-done as other books of its type (which are many). I felt like too many of the women portrayed weren't really inspirational, but I guess that's based on what I find inspiration in (not models or youtubers). Still, I learned a lot about people I had never heard of before and some of the older stories were pretty cool.
August 8, 2025
I loved this book. Reading about the immense hardship women endured to gain basic rights makes me want to live my own life more truly and authentically. This book sent me into an introspective loop. It's baffling to think about the blood, sweat, and life that India lost during its 200-year struggle against colonization. It's even more baffling to consider the struggles that women endured—and still endure—just to be treated as human. To honor all of their effort, we should live our lives to the fullest.
As a minority woman, if I feel this way, I cannot imagine what people with disabilities or those living in war-torn places must be going through. I hope to remain grounded and treat others with the love and respect that every life deserves. I also hope to show the same love and respect towards myself and set boundaries when needed so that I have enough energy to stay positive and loving.
As a minority woman, if I feel this way, I cannot imagine what people with disabilities or those living in war-torn places must be going through. I hope to remain grounded and treat others with the love and respect that every life deserves. I also hope to show the same love and respect towards myself and set boundaries when needed so that I have enough energy to stay positive and loving.
June 4, 2019
The book includes biographies of 50 South Asian Supergirls from the past and present. To name a few Mindy Kaling, Norah Jones, Noor Jahan, Rupi Kaur. Each Supergirl has a 2page spread, which features a beautiful illustration of them.
Representation matters so much and this book here is so important for all the young South Asian girls. Actually no it's important for all young girls. There is so much to be learned from these 50 admirable women. The author, the illustrators and all the women mentioned in the book have South Asian heritage, it's really nice to witness the community uplifting each other.
Full review on my site https://www.frizzandgo.com/2019/06/bo...
Representation matters so much and this book here is so important for all the young South Asian girls. Actually no it's important for all young girls. There is so much to be learned from these 50 admirable women. The author, the illustrators and all the women mentioned in the book have South Asian heritage, it's really nice to witness the community uplifting each other.
Full review on my site https://www.frizzandgo.com/2019/06/bo...
September 13, 2019
I’ve waited 30 years to see myself and my mother represented in the media and I’m delighted to say that finally girls with my skin colour and heritage will be able to proudly reclaim our stories and find role models and leaders in the past and present.
Beautifully illustrated and masterfully told, this inspires and leaves its mark for all future South Asian super women.
Thank you to all the wonderful women involved in this long overdue project.
Beautifully illustrated and masterfully told, this inspires and leaves its mark for all future South Asian super women.
Thank you to all the wonderful women involved in this long overdue project.
June 12, 2021
This is a collection of 50 South Asian influential women. This book is such an important one for every single young girl out there to see how colour doesn't matter to achieve your goals. There is so much to be learnt from every 50 of them. Sometimes it's so frustrating the way the world represents the South Asian Community especially the women being feeble and timid. But the life stories of these 50 awesome women and the stories that didn't reach out to you are to prove them wrong.
With every page about a woman, there is an illustration of the person by different women illustrators and the illustrations are so beautiful and different from each other and they complement each other so beautifully. There are mini interviews too at the end of the book of each of the illustrators. This book not highlights the superwomen of the past but also the current ones.
Considering it is a children's book, the language and the flow are both perfect. I am looking forward to reading these stories to my niece in bed.
With every page about a woman, there is an illustration of the person by different women illustrators and the illustrations are so beautiful and different from each other and they complement each other so beautifully. There are mini interviews too at the end of the book of each of the illustrators. This book not highlights the superwomen of the past but also the current ones.
Considering it is a children's book, the language and the flow are both perfect. I am looking forward to reading these stories to my niece in bed.
September 4, 2019
I love this book! 4.5 stars only because I wish there were more entries; however, the beautiful art and spotlight on the South Asian women that are in this book make it an empowering read for any girl. (Plus, all the proceeds from the book go to charities supporting women and children—how cool is that?)
December 9, 2019
Really wanted to love this book. For a book that is trying to be woke and feminist and promote activism and inclusivity, it could have done better with who they picked. But whatever! I guess this is something, because there was nothing before this.
Also my 3 year old niece loved this book, but it was because of the pictures. this book is better suited for 10+ years old kids.
Also my 3 year old niece loved this book, but it was because of the pictures. this book is better suited for 10+ years old kids.
September 2, 2022
Just a list of abstracts that fail to inspire. This is very much a ‘tell don’t show’ kind of book… a few lines without understanding context or driving passions. Maybe a useful launchpad to pick a name and explore further through other resources but it offers nothing that a quick online search wouldn’t offer.
May 10, 2020
Loved this! I love most books in this genre which has become so popular since Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls, but this one introduced me to so many people I didn't know alongside favourites like Nadiya Hussain and Norah Jones.
September 5, 2020
Good book with quick short profiles meant for young readers on the role of South Asian women. I did enjoy reading it even as an adult reader.
February 8, 2022
Incredibly inspiring! There was so much I didn't know. Beautiful illustrations as well, an easy, refreshing and uplifting read.
November 27, 2022
I liked the bios of all these incredible women however I would have at least 1iked a
Srilankan representative we are south asian as well:)
Srilankan representative we are south asian as well:)
April 21, 2023
Remarkably well-illustrated compilation of lesser-known heroines from all walks of life. Inspiring for men and women alike. I sent copies as gifts.
March 26, 2024
Amazing read! Really brings out to light on the wonderful women out there who have been trial brazers but well known only in their niche fields. Very inspiring!
February 8, 2025
It was really good. I enjoyed reading about this especially as a south asian girl it really motivates you and makes you feel proud about your culture.
June 17, 2019
Loved this! Such a beautiful matrilineal lineage of South Asian women who have defied sexist and racist expectations. This is my bedside book and I look through it most mornings to get a burst of inspiration and energy before I start my day. Love the illustrations as well and getting to know the artists behind these beautiful images. The book also supports charities supporting women and girl children in South Asian communities. Great feels all round x
November 25, 2021
The best way to summarise this novel is to simply put it as empowering. As someone who is from a South Asian background, I never saw many books reflecting south asians; this critical dimension in literature wasn't so popular before. however, to have now read a book full of endless stories of females with power and talents worked to make me feel appreciated.
January 28, 2024
I read an advance reader copy that only had 8 of the 50 women, but it certainly made me want the full book.
These are inspirational stories - and truly inspirational, unlike some of these collections that seem to pick whoever pops out on Google even if they actively harmed other women. They include women who died young, who didn't win the wars they bravely fought, and who suffered, as well as those who have money and power in our modern Western society. The workers fighting for equality I found particularly inspiring.
I like the layout of a quote and then a short blurb built around that quote. The information is engaging and packs a lot of information in about these women without feeling like a drab series of facts strung together. Each one feels like it has been done with the utmost care.
The pictures are also STUNNING - I would happily pay money to have some of them as posters. They are both beautiful and emotional, and very well paired to the women themselves - as opposed to having variety for the sake of it or seeming random, which I find is the case with many of these collaborative books.
The fact that the author is donating her proceeds to charity is not only lovely, it is entirely in keeping with this book and frankly shows that she is the 51st supergirl.
These are inspirational stories - and truly inspirational, unlike some of these collections that seem to pick whoever pops out on Google even if they actively harmed other women. They include women who died young, who didn't win the wars they bravely fought, and who suffered, as well as those who have money and power in our modern Western society. The workers fighting for equality I found particularly inspiring.
I like the layout of a quote and then a short blurb built around that quote. The information is engaging and packs a lot of information in about these women without feeling like a drab series of facts strung together. Each one feels like it has been done with the utmost care.
The pictures are also STUNNING - I would happily pay money to have some of them as posters. They are both beautiful and emotional, and very well paired to the women themselves - as opposed to having variety for the sake of it or seeming random, which I find is the case with many of these collaborative books.
The fact that the author is donating her proceeds to charity is not only lovely, it is entirely in keeping with this book and frankly shows that she is the 51st supergirl.
March 27, 2024
wish i had this as a child.
May 20, 2019
Adore this book. It’s exactly the book I wish existed when I was a little girl. The biographies of 50 amazing South Asian woman who are or have left a mark in this world. But more importantly it was written and illustrated by South Asian Women. Passing on our history. #representationmatters
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews