SGBC

The Sanskaari Girls Podcast

Society EN ↓ 11 episodes

A South Asian feminist podcast on books, politics, and everything in between. Extending the work of the Sanskaari Girls Book Club, each episode invites critical reflection on literature, culture, and the structural conditions that shape them. Through discussion, review, and dialogue, we centre marginal voices and create space for thoughtful, ongoing engagement beyond the page.

Author

SGBC

Episodes

11. How to start a feminist book club (and keep it going) ft. the SGBC Team 28.03.2026 51:13

In this final episode of The Sanskaari Girls Podcast season one, the Sanskaari Girls team come together for an informal conversation on what it means to build and sustain a feminist reading community. We discuss why SGBC was founded, the gaps it sought to fill, and what draws people to feminist book clubs today. From the politics of book selection and language, to facilitating meaningful discussio...

10. Writing the Disappearing World ft. Arati Kumar-Rao 14.02.2026 1:13:30

In this episode of The Sanskaari Girls Podcast , ⁠Arati Kumar-Rao⁠ —National Geographic Explorer, environmental photographer, and author—joins ⁠Vandita Morarka⁠ to explore the disappearing world of South Asia’s landscapes. They discuss Arati’s journey from physics and marketing to environmental storytelling, her award-winning book Marginlands: Indian Landscapes on the Brink , and how photography a...

9. The Limits of Representation ft. Annie Zaidi 24.01.2026 1:07:09

In this episode of The Sanskaari Girls Podcast , ⁠Annie Zaidi⁠—writer, journalist, and editor—joins ⁠Vandita Morarka⁠ to explore the limits of representation in literature and publishing. They discuss the ethics of writing across difference, the demands of research and lived experience, and how accountability shifts between fiction and non-fiction. The conversation also examines publishing gatekee...

8. Narratives of Care ft. Amrita Tripathi 10.01.2026 1:06:30

In this episode, writer and mental health advocate Amrita Tripathi joins ⁠Vandita Morarka⁠ to discuss narratives of care and the role of storytelling in mental health discourse. They explore how lived experiences can challenge stigma, the ethical complexities of sharing personal stories, and the importance of consent and care in mental health writing. Amrita reflects on founding The Health Collect...

7. Art for Life's Sake ft. Megha Rao 27.12.2025 1:00:11

TW: This episode contains mentions of suicide, violence, and self-harm. Please take care while listening, and step away at any point if you need to. In this episode of The Sanskaari Girls Podcast, poet and artist ⁠Megha Rao⁠ joins ⁠Vandita Morarka⁠ to explore the role of art as a lifeline—something we need not just to express ourselves, but to survive. They discuss “heroic vulnerability,” the cour...

6. Digital Identity in the Gen Z Age ft. Ria Chopra 14.12.2025 1:28:24

In this episode of The Sanskaari Girls Podcast, ⁠Ria Chopra⁠—writer and cultural commentator—joins ⁠Vandita Morarka⁠ to explore digital identity, feminism, and selfhood in the Gen Z age. Together, they discuss how young people navigate fragmented online selves across platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn, and WhatsApp, and the particular pressures of code-switching within South Asian cultural context...

5. The Politics of Desire ft. Prof. Madhavi Menon 29.11.2025 1:03:05

In this episode of The Sanskaari Girls Podcast, ⁠Professor Madhavi Menon⁠—renowned scholar of English literature and gender studies—joins ⁠Kuhoo to explore the intricate politics and poetics of desire. Drawing on Ismat Chughtai’s Lihaf, sufi poets, and everyday life, Professor Menon reflects on desire as something simultaneously seen and unacknowledged, thriving in places we rarely expect. She dis...

4. What Does a Feminist Publisher Do ft. Zubaan 25.11.2025 54:23

In this episode of The Sanskaari Girls Podcast, the team from ⁠Zubaan⁠—India’s pioneering feminist publishing house and NGO—joins ⁠Vandita Morarka⁠ (founder of SGBC) to explore what it means to be a feminist publisher in practice. ⁠Melissa Fernandes⁠, ⁠Aanchal Seema Khulbe⁠, and ⁠Indira Tayeng⁠ discuss how feminist principles shape editorial decisions, archiving, and on-the-ground community engage...

3. How to Read in Translation ft. Sowmya V. B. 18.10.2025 55:30

In this episode of the Sanskaari Girls Podcast, Vandita Morarka speaks with linguist, technologist, and translator Sowmya V. B. about the art and politics of translation. Through the lens of her work on The Hunger that Moved a Goddess, Sowmya reflects on what it means to carry meaning, rhythm, and emotion across languages. Sowmya runs pustakam.net , a bi-lingual website with reviews of novels and...

2. Feminist Killjoys in Fiction ft. Meena Kandasamy 04.10.2025 45:57

In this episode of the Sanskaari Girls podcast, Vandita Morarka engages in a profound conversation with poet, activist, writer Meena Kandasamy , exploring the concept of the feminist killjoy. They discuss the complexities of speaking out against oppression, the emotional balance between anger and joy, and the role of silence as a form of resistance. Kandasamy shares personal anecdotes and insights...

1. The Essay as a Feminist Form ft. Rega Jha 15.09.2025 1:08:48

In this episode of The Sanskaari Girls Podcast, writer, editor, and essayist Rega Jha joins Vandita Morarka (founder of SGBC) to discuss the essay as a feminist form. From personal storytelling to digital platforms, Rega reflects on how essays can be both intimate and political—bridging personal experience with collective feminist thought. Subscribe to Here/Now Studies, Rega’s newsletter, follow S...