Shilpa U. M. is a research scholar at the Institute of English, University of Kerala, India. She earned her MPhil in English Language and Literature from the same University and pursued her master’s degree in English and Comparative Literature from the Central University of Kerala, India. Currently, her research focuses on Women’s Solo Performance in Canadian Theatre.

 Having been an active participant in theatre since her school days, she integrated this passion for theatre into her research pursuits. Shilpa is also a professional translator, contributing to both private and commercial projects. She is one among the authors in Many Voices and Stories in Translation: Contemporary Malayalam Short Stories Translated to English (2023) by the University of Kerala Press. It is an edited translation of a collection of Malayalam short stories published during the pandemic. 

 Furthermore, Shilpa holds a Diploma in Journalism from the Institute of Journalism, Trivandrum. She contributes to Indian Express Malayalam as a freelance journalist. Beyond her journalistic endeavours, she is also a writer and an enthusiastic amateur performer.