Surreal illustration of a woman writing amidst blooming books.

Beyond Postfeminism: How Women's Autofiction Is Rewriting the Rules

Lena Voss in Culture & Society June 2025 • 4 min read.

"Exploring the rise of autofiction and its critique of postfeminist ideals in contemporary literature."

In contemporary discussions about feminism, much attention has been given to its reflection in media and broader culture. However, literature offers rich ground to extend existing debates within feminism. Contemporary women’s autofiction presents a unique literary response to the individualizing narratives of neoliberalism and postfeminism.

This article explores how authors like Sheila Heti (How Should A Person Be?) and Jenny Offill (Dept. of Speculation) are using autofiction to critically examine diminished feminist politics within a neoliberal, postfeminist society. Their work reflects the enduring marginality of female artistic identity, employing the confessional mode to emphasize the provisional nature of their being.

Autofiction, originally coined to describe autobiographical texts blending fact and fiction, has become a vital genre in North American and European literature. It navigates unstable boundaries between fiction, autobiography, and theory, offering a space for writers to reflect on the search for viable artistic consciousness. This approach is as important as the final product, especially when the definition of 'woman as artist' remains contested.

What Makes Autofiction a Powerful Tool for Feminist Critique?

Surreal illustration of a woman writing amidst blooming books.

Commentaries on postfeminism often focus on its presence in media and culture. This article highlights the potential of literature in extending existing debates within feminist studies. It argues that the rise of contemporary women's autofiction provides a literary response to the individualizing narrative of a neoliberal and postfeminist sensibility.

Sheila Heti’s How Should A Person Be? and Jenny Offill’s Dept. of Speculation use writing practices that are resolutely political. By employing the confessional mode, which has roots in the feminist movement, they reflect on the continuing marginality of female artistic identity. Both texts emphasize the inherently provisional nature of their existence.

Challenging Individualism: Critiques the neoliberal emphasis on self-improvement and ambition.
Highlighting Marginality: Focuses on the enduring challenges faced by female artists.
Promoting Feminist Solidarity: Establishes a social imaginary where feminist reawakening is nurtured.
Reclaiming Confession: Revalues the confessional mode as a means of feminist expression.

The texts highlight that the search for a viable artistic consciousness and experiments in artistic method are as crucial as the final product itself, particularly when the definition of a woman as an artist remains contested. The existence of these texts helps to create a wider social imaginary that encourages feminist organizing. Thus, the increasing popularity of contemporary women’s autofiction may offer strategies for remediating an otherwise diminished feminist politics in the present.

The Lasting Impact of Women's Autofiction

In conclusion, women's autofiction stands as a significant counterforce to neoliberal individualism, providing new practices of self-representation and underscoring the precariousness of women's artistic identity. By emphasizing the ongoing search for artistic consciousness, these works reclaim the political potential of feminist confession and foster a renewed sense of feminist solidarity in contemporary literature.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1080/08164649.2018.1536442, Alternate LINK

Title: Contemporary Women’S Autofiction As Critique Of Postfeminist Discourse

Subject: Gender Studies

Journal: Australian Feminist Studies

Publisher: Informa UK Limited

Authors: Yanbing Er

Published: 2018-07-03

Everything You Need To Know

In what specific ways does autofiction, particularly in feminist literature, serve as a critical tool against neoliberal ideologies?

Autofiction, in the context of feminist literature, serves as a critical tool by challenging the individualizing narratives often found in neoliberal and postfeminist ideologies. It critiques the neoliberal emphasis on self-improvement and ambition, highlighting the marginality and enduring challenges faced by female artists. Through works like Sheila Heti's 'How Should A Person Be?' and Jenny Offill's 'Dept. of Speculation', autofiction reclaims the confessional mode, historically significant in the feminist movement, to promote feminist solidarity and offer a space for a feminist reawakening. This approach emphasizes the provisional nature of female artistic identity and counters the diminished feminist politics of the present.

How does contemporary women's autofiction specifically address the theme of marginality in the context of female artists and their identities?

Contemporary women's autofiction addresses the theme of marginality by focusing on the challenges faced by female artists within a neoliberal and postfeminist society. Authors like Sheila Heti and Jenny Offill use the confessional mode to emphasize the provisional nature of their existence, highlighting that the search for a viable artistic consciousness is as important as the final product. This approach acknowledges the contested definition of 'woman as artist' and creates a social imaginary that encourages feminist organizing.

Can you provide some specific examples of contemporary women’s autofiction and explain how they challenge postfeminist ideals?

Sheila Heti's 'How Should A Person Be?' and Jenny Offill's 'Dept. of Speculation' are examples of contemporary women’s autofiction. These works reflect on the enduring marginality of female artistic identity by employing the confessional mode to emphasize the provisional nature of their existence. Their writing practices are resolutely political, challenging the individualizing narratives of neoliberalism and postfeminism. These texts highlight that experiments in artistic method are as crucial as the final product itself, particularly when the definition of a woman as an artist remains contested.

How does the rise of women's autofiction contribute to a renewed sense of feminist solidarity, and what are the implications of this trend?

The rise of women's autofiction contributes to feminist solidarity by establishing a social imaginary that encourages feminist organizing. By challenging neoliberal individualism and revaluing the confessional mode, these works foster a renewed sense of community and shared purpose among women. The increasing popularity of contemporary women's autofiction offers strategies for remediating an otherwise diminished feminist politics in the present, promoting collective action and mutual support.

While much discussion exists around postfeminism in media, what unique insights does women's autofiction bring to feminist studies, and why is it significant?

Postfeminism often focuses on media representation and cultural narratives, but literature, specifically women's autofiction, provides a unique and powerful space to extend existing debates within feminist studies. Authors such as Sheila Heti and Jenny Offill critically examine diminished feminist politics within a neoliberal, postfeminist society. They highlight the potential of literature in addressing the search for a viable artistic consciousness and the challenges faced by female artists, offering a literary response to individualizing narratives.