Basanth Thomas Babu
Graduate Assistant II, The Harriet Tubman Department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
I grew up in the magical land of Kerala in South India, learned to enjoy literature, history, nature and rituals. I earned my BA in English Language and Literature from CMS College, Kottayam and then went on to complete a Master's in English Literary Studies from the University of Exeter. I am interested in Dalit Feminism, Transnational Feminisms, Ritual and Ecology, femme fatales, Indigenous knowledge systems, female monsters and female myths.
My proposed research examines Neeli narratives (a form of narratives that deal with a fierce or monstrous woman) from the south Indian state of Kerala as Dalit women's critiques of caste patriarchy and political ecology.
In my spare time, I usually travel to different places of historical significance, specifically in Northern Kerala or find time to attend ritual performances. Food and gastronomic adventures form another quintessential part of my life.