How Not to Be a Superwoman: A Handbook for Women to Survive the Patriarchy

In How Not to Be a Superwoman, Nilanjana Bhowmick explores the immense pressure women face to excel in every role-- as mothers, career women, partners and friends-- and the toll this pursuit takes on their mental health and happiness. Her compelling work unveils the raw, real stories of diverse women who have broken free from the relentless cycle of perfectionism, and offers insightful, practical advice on achieving balance and joy that comes from embracing one’s true self. Through a feminist lens, she confronts and rejects society’s unrealistic expectations while advocating for a life of fulfilment, self-compassion and genuine empowerment. This is a must-read for women seeking to liberate themselves from the exhausting superwoman ideal and embrace a more self-loving, balanced way of living.

Nilanjana Bhowmick has been a journalist for more than two decades and won three international awards for her reports on gender and development. She began her career as a producer for the BBC Asian Network in Birmingham and The World Today, the flagship current affairs programme of the BBC World Service Radio based in London. She was the correspondent for TIME magazine’s South Asia bureau in New Delhi. She has written for the Washington Post, Al Jazeera and National Geographic. Her non-fiction work, poetry and short stories have appeared in several international anthologies. Her book, Lies Our Mothers Told Us: The Indian Woman’s Burden (2022), is a bestseller and has been nominated for several literary awards.