The first fruit of our lab hopping labours is now here! We are so excited to share 31 Fantastic Adventures in Science: Women Scientists of India, an illustrated book targeted at children, but also very much for adults. The book introduces 31 contemporary Indian women scientists, brought to life by artist Upasana Agarwal. These 124 brightly coloured pages are an ode to the amazing women we have met in the last four years and those that we continue to discover today. They are role models representing various geographies and scientific disciplines and we have no doubt that they will inspire a generation of future scientists that will do their science in a more equitable space.
Among the pages of this book, you will meet black hole hunter Prajval Shastri, biotech business tycoon Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Gagandeep Kang who stands tall with conviction to enhance India’s public health, Soumya Prasad and Jis Sebastian immersed in the forest to watch it reveal its secrets, Bhargavi Srinivasulu spelunking to rediscover bat species, Kaneenika Sinha chasing special numbers, Rohini Lakshane fighting for digital equality and many others. These truly fantastic women are our inspiration and we can’t wait for you to get to know their life stories and escapades in the world of science.
The most special part of this book for us is that it could not have happened without all of you – many of whom are not just readers but part of the labhopping movement. Sincere thanks to our crowdfunding supporters and Kiran Majumdar Shaw for giving us the means to research and write this book. And once again, we want to thank Upasana for their amazing artwork on the cover and each of the 31 profiles they drew and coloured so beautifully and sensitively to convey the spirit of science.
