‘Sex workers are free in four respects: we don’t have
to cook for a husband; we don’t have to wash his dirty
clothes; we don’t have to ask for his permission to raise
our kids as we deem fit; we don’t have to run after a
husband claiming rights to his property.’
Fiery, outspoken and often wickedly funny, this candid
account of one woman’s life as a sex worker in Kerala
became a bestseller when it was first published in
Malayalam. Nalini Jameela, who takes her name from
both Hindu and Muslim traditions, worked as a child in
the clay mines. She has been a wife, mother, successful
business woman and social activist – as well as a sex
worker – at different stages of her life. This is Nalini
Jameela’s story, told in her inimitably honest and downto-
earth style, of her search for dignity, empowerment
and freedom on her own terms.
About the Author
Nalini Jameela came into public view in Kerala in 2005
when her autobiography, Oru Laingikatozhilaliyute
Atmakatha, was published in Malayalam, and became
a controversial bestseller. The Malayalam book went
into six editions in one hundred days and sold 13,000
copies.
