Ep. 16: The Shocking Lives of India’s Teenagers

‘Stoned, Shamed, Depressed’ is an alarming reality check of the struggles faced by the teens of India, dealing with the evident but deliberately denied issues of substance abuse, social media and gaming, bullying, body shaming and the frailty of mental health. Renowned journalist and author Jyotsna Mohan Bhargava traces the difficult journey from teenage to adulthood, where children […]

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

book review of the Namesake by jhumpa lahiri

Books have a way of finding you. The Namesake was originally written in September 2003, and is bound to be on any list of recommendations of Indian literature, but it was not until a year after I moved to the US that I happened to want to read it at all. And when I did, […]

Neil D’Silva: On championing Indian horror

Neil D’Silva is a postgraduate in organic chemistry, ran a coaching class for 18 years while also freelancing and is now among the few horror writers in India, after having published his first book at 40. He blogs, he runs a book community on Facebook (For Writers, By Authors) and also organises a literature festival […]

In Conversation With: Kiran Manral

Kiran Manral

Kiran Manral debuted as a writer with The Reluctant Detective in 2011. She was earlier a feature writer for The Times of India and Cosmopolitan India. The Face at the Window is her fifth novel, hailed as “a dark brooding story of mysterious, concealed identities” by The Times of India.  You wear many hats; as […]

Ep. 15: Travelling Tales of Tibet with Shivaji Das and Yolanda Yu

shivaji das and yolanda yu in conversation with ayushi mona

‘The ‘Other’ Shangri-La: Journeys through the Sino-Tibetan frontier in Sichuan’ is a narrative travelogue based on author Shivaji Das and his wife Yolanda’s journey which explores the region’s history and the lives and cultures of the people inhabiting these remote lands in detail. The podcast narrates the adventures of travelling into lands far away, the […]

Ep. 14: Jaipur and Japan with Anukrti Upadhyay

anukrti upadhyay podcast

In the 14th episode of India Booked, author Anukrti Upadhyay takes us through the deserts of Rajasthan and the hot springs of Japan through her novel Kintsugi. In the same conversation, she connects contrasts betweenthe cultures of Jaipur and Japan and creates a delightful echo, all of her own. Anukrti Upadhyay is also the author […]

In Conversation With: Malay Chatterjee

Malay Chatterjee

Malay Chatterjee has been a professor at Delhi’s School of Planning and Architecture. Chatterjee’s many academic/non-fiction publications have covered complex issues concerning architectural conservation and heritage management. He is considered an authority on the planning and design history of New Delhi. You have had a prolific career as an academic and have been deeply involved […]

Ep. 13: Timeless Tales from Marwar with Vishes Kothari

timeless tales of marwar podcast

For centuries, Rajasthan has been a gold mine of oral traditions and histories, with Padma Shri Vijaydan Detha being one of the foremost storytellers of all time. His stories, collected from the common folk of Rajasthan, mark an important intervention in 20th century Rajasthani literature. Giving a new lease of life to his writings, Timeless […]

The Cock is the Culprit by Unni R.

Cock is the Culprit

Translated by J. Devika The Cock is the Culprit, written originally in Malayalam by Unni R (which sold 10,000 copies in the first 100 days after its release), and translated to English by J. Devika is many levels of brilliant, at once a juicy piece of gossip, a timely and perfect political satire, and an […]

Brink by S.L. Bhyrappa

Brink

Translated from Kannada by R. Ranganath Prasad Originally published as Anchu in Kannada by the legendary S.L. Bhyrappa, Brink is a love saga set in Mysore, a love between an older couple, a journey of learning to love someone with anxiety, a journey of loving life that has not been kind to you, and finding […]