The Lit Pickers

She looms large in novels, academic history and art. How well do we understand India's only woman Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, in spite of all that? In this episode of The Lit Pickers, recorded in early 2019, we delve into the books, biographies and graphic novels to talk about how she is remembered in public opinion and popular culture. IDK guys, just seems important to talk about authoritarian...

There's a lot of sympathy out there for the writer's block, but we'd like to talk about the reader's block. In the age of distraction and too-little time, it's easy to lose your reading habit. Once that happens, finding the bit of writing that will revive the reader in you seems impossible to find. Fear not. We wade through the wide world of literature — from Harry Potter to War and Peace; poetry...

With hundreds of thousands in India taking to the streets to register their objections to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, you could say these are dark times. But among those shining brightly are the revolutionary poets whose words have become anthems. As dissenters stand their ground across the country, we’ve drawn strength from the poetry of protest, of the past and present. Join us, as we raise...

We shoot the breeze about the good that literature festivals do, as well as the evil that lives on after them. Is a festival a “safe space” for free speech? Are we expecting too much from events that are patronised largely by those seeking to network or score some publicity? What does it take to make a festival memorable? And what exactly is the point of these gigantic jamborees anyway? Allow us t...

Supriya Nair and Deepanjana Pal, writers and partners in brunch, have thoughts about books. They’ll be talking about books they’ve loved, hated, dismissed and devoured on their show, but first, a critical question: Are eggs bhurji the same as scrambled eggs?