Concept Note-

Trans narratives in South Asia are shaped by the lived experiences shaped by historical, socio- cultural, and political contexts. These narratives are represented in literature, visual culture, and how literature and popular culture responds to it. These narratives become a representation of the self and culture presenting both the challenges and resilience of transgender communities across south asia. The proposed edited volume aims to take decolonial and framework and attempts to undertake South Asia’s engagement with gender diversity through literature and popular culture.
Pre Colonial traditions often revered non-normative genders, as evidenced by the significant roles of hijras in spiritual and royal domains. Colonial laws, such as the Criminal Tribes Act (1871), disrupted these systems, pathologizing trans identities and perpetuating their marginalization. A decolonial framework interrogates these legacies, reclaiming indigenous understandings of gender fluidity that challenge Western-centric binaries. The book uses the word ‘trans’ to understand beyond the framework gender identities. The body of Trans literature and popular culture narrates personal struggles and triumphs, offering nuanced understanding into identity and belonging and a decolonial reading critiques these portrayals, advocating for authentic and multidimensional depictions that transcend tokenism. An inclusive understanding of transgender lives also necessitates examining the intersectionality of caste, class, religion, nation, regional and south asian identities. For instance, the experiences of Dalit transgender individuals reveal compounded marginalizations that differ from those of upper-caste transgender persons. Similarly, religious narratives and practices across South Asia shape transgender visibility and acceptance in distinct ways. An intersectional lens ensures that these diverse voices are not homogenized but celebrated in their complexity.
The transgender rights movement in South Asia has gained momentum, with landmark legislations such as Transgender Persons Act (2019) in India and Transgender Persons Act (2018) in Pakistan. However, systemic barriers ranging from lack of healthcare access to societal discrimination persist. The edited book interrogates the gap between legal recognition and lived realities, emphasizing the need for grassroots activism and policy reforms that center transgender voices. The study draws attention to the cultural, legal, and social realities shaping the transgender experience in South Asia. By reclaiming indigenous epistemologies and addressing systemic exclusions, this proposal seeks to foster a more equitable understanding of transgender lives. In doing so, it contributes to the global discourse on gender diversity, emphasizing the importance of decolonial and inclusive frameworks in reshaping narratives of identity and belonging.

Section I: Transgender Representation in Literature: South Asian Perspective

• Fictional Narratives: The Lives of Transgender Protagonists: Analysis of novels, short stories, and poetry exploring transgender lives in South Asia.
• Autobiographical Narratives: Resistance and Self-Expression: Memoirs and autobiographies of transgender individuals
• Reinterpretations of Classical Texts: Readings of traditional South Asian literature and myths, folk art focusing on gender dissidence and gender variance. 

Section II: Transgender Representation in Visual and Digital Media

• Cinema and Beyond: Transgender Characters in South Asia and Regional Films: Mainstream and regional film industries’ portrayal of transgender identities
• OTT Platforms and Web Series: New Avenues for Transgender Stories: Trans representation in contemporary South Asian digital media, such as Netflix and Amazon Prime.
• Visual Art and Photography: Documenting Transgender Lives: Exploration of artistic representations by and about transgender individuals in South Asia.
• Transgender Individuals in Digital Spaces: Social Media and Representation: Analysis of transgender creators on platforms like Instagram and YouTube, Everyday activism through digital media.

Section III: Trans Inclusive Politics, Law and Social Action

• Transgender Activism and Legal Battles in South Asia: Landmark cases like Nalsa v. Union of India and their socio-legal impacts, Role of NGOs and grassroots movements,
• Transgender people’s issues, housing, marriage laws, inheritance, migration from various regions, intersectional vulnerabilities
• Imagining a Queer Future: Art, Activism, and Advocacy: Vision for an inclusive South Asia through activism, Inclusion in Politics, Scientific Fields, Sports, etc.

Section IV: Trans Ecology

• Gendered Environmental Justice, Spiritual and Ecological Practices, Indigenous Knowledge Systems
• Issues of Gendered Climate risks and Distater Vulnerability

 Abstract Deadline- 10 April, 2025

The proposal will be submittted to Palgrave Macmillan and Springer for consideration. Contributors must submit an abstract of 350-400 words along with 4-6 keywords and a brief bio.

Abstracts should be submitted to both the editors tanupriya.2493@gmail.com and anukuriakose29@gmail.com