Non-conforming women redefining empowerment in neoliberal cities

Dr Shrimoyee Chattopadhyay, Assistant Professor of English at Christ University, Pune, Lavasa, is a scholar of contemporary South Asian diaspora fiction and film. A recipient of the Bangabidya Young Scholar Award, she explores themes of memory, trauma, gender, and identity in her work. Her writing amplifies silenced voices and rethinks empowerment in complex, globalised contexts

Dr Shrimoyee Chattopadhyay, Assistant Professor of English at Christ University, Pune, Lavasa, is a scholar whose work bridges the worlds of literature, culture, and social inquiry. She completed her PhD at the University of Debrecen, Hungary, under the prestigious Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship, focusing on contemporary South Asian diaspora fiction and film. Her research spans memory studies, trauma studies, food culture, and gender studies. In 2022, she was honoured with the Bangabidya Young Scholar Award for her outstanding scholarly article, cementing her reputation as a rising voice in literary and cultural studies.

For Chattopadhyay, writing was a natural extension of her lifelong engagement with literature. “During my undergraduate and postgraduate studies in English Literature, I was constantly surrounded by stories—some that fascinated me, some that challenged me, and some that left me with more questions than answers,” she recalls. Reading, she realised, was only the beginning. “Over time, I realised that reading alone wasn’t enough; I wanted to respond, to engage with ideas more deeply, and writing became that space of dialogue for me.”

Her doctoral research further transformed her understanding of writing. “I understood writing not just as an academic exercise, but also as a way of thinking and creating. It allowed me to give shape to questions about culture, identity, and representation that had been building in me for years,” she explains. Central to her inspiration were the silences she noticed in texts—the voices that weren’t always heard. Writing, for Chattopadhyay, became a way to explore and amplify those hidden spaces, offering a platform for narratives that often go unnoticed.

Interestingly, she did not grow up with a fixed ambition to be a writer. “Honestly, I don’t think I grew up saying to myself, I want to be a writer,” she admits. Instead, her love for books and curiosity about how language shapes perception gradually drew her toward writing. Studying English Literature deepened that curiosity, and during her PhD, writing evolved into a method of questioning, interpreting, and giving voice to ideas that mattered to her. “Writing found me gradually,” she says.

This journey has now culminated in her book, ‘Non-Conforming Women in Neoliberal Cities: Re-thinking Empowerment in Contemporary Diaspora Fiction and Film’, published by Routledge. The title itself conveys much of the book’s intellectual framework. “‘Non-Conforming Women’ signals a departure from traditional, often stereotypical, representations of diasporic women as victims of cultural oppression. Instead, it emphasises women who resist, negotiate, and disrupt both patriarchal and neoliberal expectations,” Chattopadhyay explains.

The book’s setting, the “Neoliberal City,” is equally deliberate. “The city here is a neoliberal space that commodifies identities and cultures, while simultaneously producing new forms of marginality and agency,” she observes. In these urban landscapes, diasporic women navigate complex social and economic pressures, crafting their own paths of agency. Meanwhile, “Re-thinking Empowerment” challenges conventional notions of success and freedom. “Rather than accepting empowerment as assimilation into dominant structures, the title signals an inquiry into alternative modes of agency,” Chattopadhyay says, emphasising a critical, nuanced perspective on power, gender, and identity.

Beyond her scholarship, Chattopadhyay is deeply invested in nurturing emerging writers. Her advice is thoughtful and practical: “Cultivate both patience and curiosity. Writing is not just about producing words; it is about reading deeply, listening attentively, and engaging critically with the world around you. Don’t be afraid of complexity; instead, learn to sit with ambiguity and contradiction, because those tensions often produce the most powerful writing.”

In her scholarship and her writing, Dr. Shrimoyee Chattopadhyay continues to create a space where untold stories, silenced voices, and complex identities can be heard, questioned, and reimagined. Through her work, she reminds us that literature is not merely a mirror of society but a lens through which we can rethink culture, identity, and empowerment in an increasingly globalised and unequal world. Her writing, thoughtful and provocative, offers both inspiration and guidance for readers and aspiring writers alike, bridging the gap between academic inquiry and the lived experiences of those often relegated to the margins.