Episodes
-
The episode opens with Pravin talking about what storytelling means to him. Pravin talks about his early days in corporate life and how he found his calling with filmmaking and becoming a naturalist. We delve into how he founded Pollachi Papyrus and Pollachi Itineraries. Pravin shares his perspective on conservation and conservation filmmaking. He talks about responsible tourism and archiving records on the bio-diversity of his hometown. We later chat about some of Pravin’s work – his short films – and how that’s led him to do impactful work with the Tamil Nadu Forest Department. The episode ends with an article written & narrated by Pravin.
Pravin Shanmughanandam is a Conservation Filmmaker and Naturalist. He is the the Founder of Pollachi Papyrus – a local magazine documenting South India’s bio-diversity, and Pollachi Itinearies. Pravin has won the Siena Awards and been a finalist in the Big Picture People’s Choice Awards. He also works with the Tamil Nadu Forest Department. You can find him on Instagram @pravin_shanmughanandam
Sangeetha Menon a.k.a. The Moody Marshmallow is a writer, editor and podcaster. She currently handles the rights portfolio at Tulika Publishers, where she finds new avenues for stories to travel. She has worked with organisations like Bound, Karadi Tales, and Carve Magazine to name a few. You can find her on Instagram: @marshmallow.musings and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/menonsangeetha/
Mentions: Jim Corbett, Ethicas, Pollachi, Valparai, Great Hornbill, Nilgiris, Pollachi Papyrus, MetroPlus, National Geographic, Amar Ramesh, YouTube, The Tap Comics, People Of Pollachi, Humans Of New York, Comaya, Conservation India, Ramki Sreenivasan, Shekar Dattatri, Responsible Tourism, Amur Falcon, Nasser, Fireflies Media, The Elephant Whisperers, Poacher, The Hunt For Veerapan, Malayalam movies, Into The Wild
Social Media:
Instagram - @theclosetwriterchronicles
Twitter - @TheMoodyMarsh
Email - [email protected]
Music:
Beat Provided By https://freebeats.io
Produced By White Hot
-
The episode opens with Utkarsh talking about what creativity means to him. He shares his earliest memory of being creative and how he got into writing with his anonymous blog. Utkarsh talks about how he wanted to pursue a career in journalism and writing but then realising that it wasn’t something he wanted to pursue professionally. We chat about his career choices as a software engineer and then working in policy. He later talks about his start-up GameAway.in, a cloud gaming company. We also talk about validation, cancel culture and books. Utkarsh also shares his thoughts on influencer marketing and the impact of AI on creative careers. The episode ends with a personal essay written & narrated by Utkarsh.
Utkarsh is an entrepreneur, coder and occasional writer currently living in Mumbai. He's the founder of one of India's top cloud gaming firms, and spent several years living in California, where he also studied and got a degree in Computer Science and Political Economy from the University of California, Berkeley. In his free time, he likes to read, stay fit, travel and help care for the street cats in his area. You can find him on X (Twitter) @DalalUtkarsh and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/utkarshdalal/
Sangeetha Menon a.k.a. The Moody Marshmallow is a writer, editor and podcaster. She currently handles the rights portfolio at Tulika Publishers, where she finds new avenues for stories to travel. She has worked with organisations like Bound, Karadi Tales, and Carve Magazine to name a few. You can find her on Instagram: @marshmallow.musings and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/menonsangeetha/
Mentions: Toptal, YouTube, Influencer Marketing, TikTok, Instagram, Patreon, Gaming, Elden Ring, Netflix, AWS, Amazon, Shark Tank, ChatGPT, New York Times, Dall-E, Sally Rooney, Normal People, Why Nations Fail, Fooled By Randomness, Thinking Fast And Slow, The Dawn Of Everything, David Wengrow, David Graeber, Yuval Noah Harari, Early Indians, Tony Joseph, Roald Dahl, Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling, Septimus Heap, Angie Sage, Enid Blyton, Atomic Habits, James Clear, Yes Theory, Fireship, Game Makers Tool Kit, Monty Python, Hidden Brain, NPR, Blackadder, The Walking Project, The Internet Freedom Foundation
Social Media:
Instagram - @theclosetwriterchronicles
Twitter - @TheMoodyMarsh
Email - [email protected]
Music:
Beat Provided By https://freebeats.io
Produced By White Hot
-
Missing episodes?
-
The episode opens with Karthik talking about what creativity means to him. He shares his earliest memory of being creative and how he started out with writing. Karthik talks about his stint in business development and his shift to education, where he taught English and History! We chat about his experience as a teacher and his move to publishing. Karthik sheds light on the editorial process of a book and we chat about different aspects of an editorial job. We then talk about how he chose to pursue writing more seriously and his debut book. Karthik also shares about some books he’s worked on and stories that he’s loved as a reader. The episode ends with an excerpt from Karthik’s book read by him.
Karthik Venkatesh grew up in Bangalore, speaking Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, English, Dakhani and Hindi. He tried to learn French but failed. He did learn Punjabi though. Once an MBA, he later studied education and taught English and History in a school. He is now Executive Editor at Penguin Random House India and has written two books for children 10 Indian Languages And How They Came To Be, and 10 Makers Of The Indian Constitution (January 2025). You can find him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karthik-venkatesh-b565251/
Sangeetha Menon a.k.a. The Moody Marshmallow is a writer, editor and podcaster. She currently handles the rights portfolio at Tulika Publishers, where she finds new avenues for stories to travel. She has worked with organisations like Bound, Karadi Tales, and Carve Magazine to name a few. You can find her on Instagram: @marshmallow.musings and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/menonsangeetha/
Mentions: Tintin by Herge, The Winning Way, Harsha Bhogle, Anita Bhogle, Boundary Lab, Nandan Kamath, the Hindu, Duckbill, Sayoni Basu, Westland, Ian Rankin, Agatha Christie, Shetland, Harlen Coben, Amitav Ghosh, AK Ramanujan, Ram Guha, Pundits From Pakistan, Rahul Bhattacharya, P Sainath, The Last Heroes, Tulika Publishers, Unknown Heroes Of India’s Freedom Struggle, Alice Munro, R K Narayan, Jahnavi Barua, The Smart And The Dumb, Vishal Vasanthkumar,
Social Media:
Instagram - @theclosetwriterchronicles
Twitter - @TheMoodyMarsh
Email - [email protected]
Music:
Beat Provided By https://freebeats.io
Produced By White Hot
-
The episode opens with Bhavika talking about what creativity means to her. We talk about how her interest in writing started and her early days as a journalist. Bhavika talks about why she chose to study writing formally and how that’s helped her craft and growth. We delve into her writing process with regard to POV, writing routine and structure. Later, she shares some of her favourite books and TV shows. She also shares a bit about her debut novel, Hot Water. The episode ends with an excerpt from Hot Water narrated by Bhavika.
Bhavika Govil is a writer whose debut novel, Hot Water, is forthcoming with HarperCollins India in April 2025. A portion of the manuscript won the 2021 Pontas & JJ Bola Emerging Writers Prize and the DHA New Writers’ Open Week. Her short fiction has won or been shortlisted for the Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize, the Bound Short Story Prize, among others, and been published in magazines including Wasafiri, Extra Teeth, Gutter. She has a Master's in Creative Writing from the University of Edinburgh, and facilitates creative writing workshops for adults. She is based in New Delhi, India. You can find her on Instagram @bhavikagovil , X (Twitter) @Bhavikagovil and her website: www.bhavikagovil.com
Sangeetha Menon a.k.a. The Moody Marshmallow is a writer, editor and podcaster. She currently handles the rights portfolio at Tulika Publishers, where she finds new avenues for stories to travel. She has worked with organisations like Bound, Karadi Tales, and Carve Magazine to name a few. You can find her on Instagram: @marshmallow.musings and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/menonsangeetha/
Mentions: Bound, Edinburgh, The Seven Moons Of Maali Almeida, Shehan Karunatilaka, The Bee Sting, Paul Murray, Hot Water, HarperCollins, Simon And Garfunkel, Elena Ferrante, Neopolitan Novels, My Brilliant Friend, Elena Knows, Claudia Pineiro, Jhumpa Lahiri, Deepa Annapara, Avni Doshi, Girl In White Cotton, Burnt Sugar, Madhuri Vijay, Em And The Big Hoom, Jerry Pinto, Jazz, Toni Morrison, Gilmore Girls, Severance
No new episode next week on account of Diwali. See you on 17th Nov! :)
Update: New episodes out from 1st December due to technical issues. Thanks for your patience!
Social Media:
Instagram - @theclosetwriterchronicles
Twitter - @TheMoodyMarsh
Email - [email protected]
Music:
Beat Provided By https://freebeats.io
Produced By White Hot
-
The episode opens with Arun talking about what creativity means to him. Arun shares his earliest memory of being creative and how he started out on his creative journey. He talks about his experience as a graphic designer and his teaching stint. We then delve into how he started Helter Skelter and Astray and what his curation process is like. Later, we talk about social media and the different formats that exist today for stories. Arun also shares his thoughts on AI. The episode ends with Arun reading the editor’s note from Helter Skelter’s latest volume.
Best known as the founding editor of Helter Skelter Magazine, Arun has been a media entrepreneur for the past 22 years and his professional experience spans a number of roles, including writer, editor, educator, graphic designer (print and digital), and web developer. He has also had a fruitful stint as teacher and program director at a French college of graphic design and visual communication, and recently concluded a stint leading communications and capacity building at a non-profit applied AI research institute. You can find him on Instagram @sleepybyday and on X @arunkale. And you can find more about Helter Skelter @helterskeltermag (Instagram) and @ishelterskelter (X).
Sangeetha Menon a.k.a.The Moody Marshmallow is a writer, editor and podcaster. She currently handles the rights portfolio at Tulika Publishers, where she finds new avenues for stories to travel. She has worked with organisations like Bound, Karadi Tales, and Carve Magazine to name a few. You can find her on Instagram: @marshmallow.musings and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/menonsangeetha/
Mentions: The Prince And The Pauper, The Hound Of The Baskervilles, J Krishnamurthi, Rishi Valley, Tata Lit Live, Adobe InDesign, PageMaker, Soundcloud, MySpace, MTV, Channel V, CG Salamander, Pragya Bhagat, Janice Pariat, Kala Ghoda Festival, Bound, Spotify, IFP, Anchor, Spotify for Podcasters, Astray, Appupen, Devashish Makhija, Kaneez Surkha, Ursula Le Guin, Stefan Zweig, Mikhail Bulgakov, The Master And Margarita, Zadie Smith, Black Sabbath, Oasis, Ozark, A Young Doctor’s Notebook
Social Media:
Instagram - @theclosetwriterchronicles
Twitter - @TheMoodyMarsh
Email - [email protected]
Music:
Beat Provided By https://freebeats.io
Produced By White Hot
-
Note: This episode is in Hinglish. The episode opens with Tejas talking about what creativity means to him. We talk about how his interest in music began and how he went about making it a professional pursuit. Tejas shares his take on having an agent and how he initiated his signature Qawali venture Mehfil-E-Sufi. He also talks about his relationship with social media and what going viral was like. We later chat about his favourite artists and influences. The episode ends with excerpts from two pieces written and narrated by Tejas.
P.S. - No episode next week on account of Navratri! Talk to y'all on 20th Oct! :)
Tejas is an independent singer, songwriter and composer primarily in Hindi. He has produced songs like Jaana Zaroori Tha, Pyaar, Intezaar and Qurbat to name a few. Tejas is classically trained and has also been a teacher at the Shankar Mahadevan Academy. He is also the founder of Mehfil-E-Sufi. You can find him on Instagram @tejasgambhirofficial and @mehfilesufi.
Sangeetha Menon a.k.a.The Moody Marshmallow is a writer, editor and podcaster. She currently handles the rights portfolio at Tulika Publishers, where she finds new avenues for stories to travel. She has worked with organisations like Bound, Karadi Tales, and Carve Magazine to name a few. You can find her on Instagram: @marshmallow.musings and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/menonsangeetha/
Mentions: Gurbani, KK, Emraan Hashmi, The Corona Song, Shankar Mahadevan Academy, Velvet Vibes, Papon, On Stage Talents, Arbaaz Khan, AR Rahman, Spotify, Coke Studio, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Rohail Hyatt, Sajjad Ali, Arjit Singh, Suits, Designated Survivor, rahat Indori, Krishn Bihari Noor, Mark Manson, Enid Blyton, Secret Seven, Diljit Dosanjh, On Stage Talent
Social Media:
Instagram - @theclosetwriterchronicles
Twitter - @TheMoodyMarsh
Email - [email protected]
Music:
Beat Provided By https://freebeats.io
Produced By White Hot
-
The episode opens with Krish talking about what creativity means to him. We chat about how he started writing and illustrating. Krish talks about his time in Delhi as a journalist, a student in Singapore and his life in Beijing as an artist. We talk about his deep interest in music and how that’s influenced him. Later, he talks about Chaoyang Trap a quirky publication on socio-political and cultural themes in China. We also share book recommendations and discuss Krish’s favourite artists. The episode ends with an excerpt from a piece written and narrated by Krish.
Krish Raghav is a comic book artist based in Amsterdam. He was part of Chaoyang Trap, an experimental newsletter about everyday life on the Chinese internet. Krish's writing and illustrations have appeared in TANK Magazine, The New Yorker, The Washington Post, Real Life, Topic, and Al-Jazeera. He’s working on his debut full-length comic book, a history of the Beijing underground music scene titled Open All the Buddha Boxes. You can find him @krishraghav on X (Twitter), @beijingbrown on IG. Website: krishcat.com
Sangeetha Menon a.k.a.The Moody Marshmallow is a writer, editor and podcaster. She currently handles the rights portfolio at Tulika Publishers, where she finds new avenues for stories to travel. She has worked with organisations like Bound, Karadi Tales, and Carve Magazine to name a few. You can find her on Instagram: @marshmallow.musings and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/menonsangeetha/
Mentions: Tasha’s Comic, The Beetles, Bjork, Nucleya, Lifafa, Peter Cat Recording Co., Disco Puppet, Sanitary Panels, The Vigil Idiot, Bakarmax, Singapore Art Museum, Fifty Two, Substack, Real Life Magazine, Chaoyang Trap, Illayaraja, The Mountain Goats, Awaara, The Song Explorers, Interesting Times, The Observatory, Cortex, McDowell Fellowship, Yaddo Fellowship, Krish Ashok, Masala Lab, Al-Jazeera, The New York Times, Michael DeForge, Familiar Face, Appupen, Yan Cong, Seven Moons Of Maali Almeida, Shehan Karunatilaka, The Saint Of Bright Doors, Vajra Chandrashekara, Our Share Of Night, Mariana Enríquez, Benjamín Labatut, The Maniac, When We Cease To Understand The World, Taking The Horse To Eat Jalebis, A Night Of Knowing Nothing, Payal Kapadia, Enter The Clones Of Bruce, Ghost Maps,
Social Media:
Instagram - @theclosetwriterchronicles
Twitter - @TheMoodyMarsh
Email - [email protected]
Music:
Beat Provided By https://freebeats.io
Produced By White Hot
-
The episode opens with Rabia talking about what creativity means to her. We talk about her earliest memories of being creative and how her school and family played a role in building her creative interests. We delve into her process as a writer and talk about voice and being vulnerable. Rabia also shares her thoughts on social media and how studying writing has helped her hone her skills. Later, we exchange book recommendations. The episode ends with a piece written and narrated by Rabia.
Rabia Kapoor is a writer from Mumbai. She is primarily interested in the quiet intimacy and tenderness of female relationships with their surroundings, with each other, and with themselves. Through her work she is looking for the generous potential of the world. Instagram/twitter: @rabiaaunty
Sangeetha Menon a.k.a.The Moody Marshmallow is a writer, editor and podcaster. She currently handles the rights portfolio at Tulika Publishers, where she finds new avenues for stories to travel. She has worked with organisations like Bound, Karadi Tales, and Carve Magazine to name a few. You can find her on Instagram: @marshmallow.musings and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/menonsangeetha/
Mentions: Prithvi Theatre, Sampoorna Chatterjee, King’s College, Open Sky, Kommune, Rudyard Kipling, Rupi Kaur, Patricia Lockwood, Priestdaddy, Yellowface, Blue Sisters, Book-Tok, Colleen Hoover, It Ends With Us, Sally Rooney, Intermezzo, conversations With Friends, Dolly Alderton, Good Material, Ghosts, Bunny, Mona Awad, The Pisces, Melissa Broder, When Harry Met Sally, Nora Ephron, Catcher In The Rye, J.D. Salinger, Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit, Jeanette Winterson, David Sedaris, Arrangements In Blue, Amy Key, After Sun, Hit The Road, Fleabag, Finding Nemo, Billie Eilish, Butter, Asako Yuzuki, Minor Detail, Adania Shibli, Hurricane Season, Fernanda Melchor, Still Born, Guadalupe Nettel, Fitzcarraldo Editions, Sheila Heti
Social Media:
Instagram - @theclosetwriterchronicles
Twitter - @TheMoodyMarsh
Email - [email protected]
Music:
Beat Provided By https://freebeats.io
Produced By White Hot
-
Season 4 opener out on 22nd September!
Check our Instagram @theclosetwriterchronicles for a fun campaign on highlighting emerging creators.
#OwnYourStory
Social Media:
Instagram - @theclosetwriterchronicles
Twitter - @TheMoodyMarsh
Email - [email protected]
Music:
Beat Provided By https://freebeats.io
Produced By White Hot
-
It's our season finale and I'm talking to Shrenik Rao! The episode opens with Shrenik talking about what writing and creativity means to him. He shares his early childhood memory of coming up with an evening edition newspaper and how that sparked his interest in journalism. We delve into his journey with entrepreneurship in the media space and his experience as a documentary filmmaker. We talk about how he revived The Madras Courier and his editorial process. Later, we chat about his upcoming book and some of his favourite writers. The episode ends with an article written & narrated by Shrenik.
Shrenik Rao is the Editor-In-Chief of The Madras Courier, a 236-year-old new brand which he has revived to a digital format. He is also the founder of 7MB, a digital media company and a documentary filmmaker! He has produced documentaries for the History Channel. Shrenik is a fellow at the University of Oxford's Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism (2016) and an alumnus of the London School of Economics.
Sangeetha Menon a.k.a. 'The Moody Marshmallow' is a writer, editor and podcaster. She currently handles the rights portfolio at Tulika Publishers, where she finds new avenues for stories to travel. She has worked with organisations like Bound, Karadi Tales, and Carve Magazine to name a few. You can find her on Instagram: @marshmallow.musings and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/menonsangeetha/
Mentions: World This Week by Pranoy Roy, The Hindu, India Today, London School Of Economics, The Elephant Whisperers, BBC, CNN, Sky News, Pranoy Roy, N Ram, NDTV, Doordarshan, The Hindu, Malayala Manorama, The new York Times, The Washington Post, Richard Johnston, Swarajya, The Caravan, The Scroll, Om Shanti Om, The New Yorker, The Financial Times, Vice Media, Scoop Whoop, Dalai Lama, Salman Rushdie, Arundathi Roy, J.K. Rowling, Kushwant Singh, The Billion Dollar Spy, Arvind Adiga, The White Tiger, Little Women. Beef,Brahmins & Broken Men, B.R. Ambedkar
Zencastr Offer Link: https://zen.ai/RyFqAp3Eu9MNOFMmxzuy27Zh1S6TcJuGEEiK4pTHopo
Use Code CLOSETWRITER to get 30% off!
Social Media:
Instagram - @theclosetwriterchronicles
Twitter - @TheMoodyMarsh
Email - [email protected]
Music:
Beat Provided By https://freebeats.io
Produced By White Hot
-
The episode opens with Shalini talking about what creativity and storytelling means to her. We delve into how she chose medicine as a career with a specialisation in respiratory pathology. Shalini talks about her experience during the corona pandemic and how it started her writing journey. We talk about books, burnout and if you need to be a reader to write. The episode ends with Shalini reading an excerpt from her book.
Shalini is a pulmonary pathologist and writer. During the day, she’s managing her lab or working on complex biopsy reports. As a writer, she has published articles on Women’s Web, E-She Magazine, and The Himalayan Writing Retreat. She has also published a book called ‘Stars From The Borderless Sea’.
Sangeetha Menon a.k.a. 'The Moody Marshmallow' is a writer, editor and podcaster. She currently handles the rights portfolio at Tulika Publishers, where she finds new avenues for stories to travel. She has worked with organisations like Bound, Karadi Tales, and Carve Magazine to name a few. You can find her on Instagram: @marshmallow.musings and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/menonsangeetha/
Mentions: The Final Diagnosis, Haley, Harry Potter, Morning Pages, Julia Cameron, Atul Gawnde, When Breath Becomes Air, Paul Kalanithi, Shoe Dog, The Swaddle, Respectfully Disagree, Story Jam, Munshi Premchand, The Seen And The Unseen, Amit Verma, Humans Of New York, Lady Hardinge College
Zencastr Offer Link: https://zen.ai/RyFqAp3Eu9MNOFMmxzuy27Zh1S6TcJuGEEiK4pTHopo
Use Code CLOSETWRITER to get 30% off!
Social Media:
Instagram - @theclosetwriterchronicles
Twitter - @TheMoodyMarsh
Email - [email protected]
Music:
Beat Provided By https://freebeats.io
Produced By White Hot
-
The episode opens with Eshan talking about what creativity and storytelling means to him. We chat about how his interest in history started and how he decided to pursue it as a career. He talks about how he got the idea for Karwaan Heritage, how he started it and what the evolution has been like. We also talk about a book he published when he was 17! Later, we delve into his writing journey and discuss one of his articles in relation to Karwaan's work culture. He shares resources for those interested in learning more about history. The episode ends with a poem narrated by Eshan.
Eshan Sharma is a writer, heritage activist and a TEDx speaker. He is the founder of one of India's leading history collectives, Karwaan: The Heritage Exploration Initiaitve. He likes to call himself a historian in training. A graduate in History from Delhi University, he is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Modern Indian History from MSU, Baroda. He is interested in films, history and everything that falls between the two. Eshan is currently working on a book project on the New Wave in Indian Cinema. You can find him on Instagram @iameshansharma_
Mentions: KL Saigal, Noor Jahaan, Talat Mahmood, Lata Mangeshkar, Vikramjit Singh Rooprai, Delhi Heritage: Top 10 Baolis, Sohail Hashmi, Chinmay Tumbe, The Age Of Pandemics, Manimugdha Sharma, StreamYard, Romila Thapar, Voices Of Dissent, Lady Doctors, The Day I Became A Runner, Sohini Chattopadhyay, The Last Heroes, P.Sainath, Anand Ranganathan, Sadaf Hussain, Ratna Pathak Shah, Ithihasology, Anirudh Kanisetty, The People Of The Indus, Sapiens, Yuval Noah Harari, Amar Chitra Katha, R.G. Collingwood, Naseerudin Shah, Nikhil Taneja, Animal, Kabir Singh, Pushpaa, Court, Garam Hawaa, Schindler’s List, All Quiet On The Western Front, Daak Vaak, Studio Ghibli, Death Note, John Green’s Crash Course On History, Shaasn, Mughal-E-Azam, Shyam Benegal, Spiderman, Trolley Times
Zencastr Offer Link: https://zen.ai/RyFqAp3Eu9MNOFMmxzuy27Zh1S6TcJuGEEiK4pTHopo
Use Code CLOSETWRITER to get 30% off!
Social Media:
Instagram - @theclosetwriterchronicles
Twitter - @TheMoodyMarsh
Email - [email protected]
Music:
Beat Provided By https://freebeats.io
Produced By White Hot
-
The episode opens with Salini talking about what writing means to her. We delve into how she decided to pursue engineering, her work life and her decision to switch to a writing career. We talk about books and writer with a focus on Malayalam literature. Salini talks about her experience with self-publishing and things to keep in mind while working on a book. The episode ends with Salini narrating an excerpt from her book, 'Lost Edges'.
Salini Vineeth is a fiction and freelance writer based in Bangalore. She worked for ten years as an engineer before turning to full-time writing in December 2018. Since then, she has published five books – Lost Edges (novel), Magic Square (novella), Everyday People (a short story collection), and travel guides for Hampi and Badami. She won the Orange Flower Award for Humour in 2023. Her short story collection Everyday People was the finalist in the Amazon Pen2Publish contest 2019. She won the eShe short story contests in 2019 and 2020. Her stories have appeared in magazines like Out of Print, The Bangalore Review, Borderless Journal, Cafe Dissensus, Kitaab International, Funny Peals, and The Bombay Review. You can find her on Instagram @salini_vineeth
Mentions: Mathrubhumi Weekly, Vaikom Mohammed Basheer, Kamala Das, M T Vasudev Nair, Madhavi Kutty, Dil Chahta Hai, Blogspot, Tiny Tales, Write Plus Jobs, Red River Press, Andaleeb Wajid, Blossoms, Atta Galatta, With Love, Madras, Valli by Sheila Tomy, JCB Prize, Hangwoman by KR Meera, Sherlock Holmes, Aurthur Conan Doyle, The Good Wife, Kudhravattum Papu, CBI Diary Kurup, Mindhunter, David Fincher
Vote for The Closet Writer Chronicles under the Arts & Entertainment category for the Podmaster's Awards! Voting link: https://survey.zohopublic.in/zs/fgBG1i
Social Media:
Instagram - @theclosetwriterchronicles
Twitter - @TheMoodyMarsh
Email - [email protected]
Music:
Beat Provided By https://freebeats.io
Produced By White Hot
-
The episode opens with Pragadish talking about what storytelling and creativity means to him. He shares how he decided to pursue a career in marketing and the steps he took to find a position that aligns with his values and interests. We chat about books, movies, poems and stories that we enjoy. Later, Pragadish opens up about his experience of coming out as queer and his relationship with identity. We also talk about his TikTok fame and how he navigates social media. The episode ends with poems written and narrated by Pragadish.
Pragadish Kalaivanan is a queer Indian marketer and poet. After graduating with a B .Tech in Computer Science, he moved to the US to study and pursue a career in marketing. He started his marketing career in content writing before moving into a more SEO and lead generation-oriented role. He has been featured on NBC, NPR, Yahoo News and Daily Dot. His work is influenced by his experiences of growing up in a sheltered, conformative society and is a dance of finding the balance between loving the culture that raised you and becoming the person you are truly meant to be. He has given a talk at 'A World Without Borders', a digital summit. You can find him on Instagram: @pragadishk and Tiktok: @pragadishkalaivan
Mentions: Drizzly, Google Fibre, TikTok, BeReal, Lapse, Padma Laxmi, Curtain by Helen Spalding, BookTok, Colleen Hoover, Bindery, Publisher’s Weekly, Animorphs, Hunted, PC Castewell, Twilight, Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, The Once And Future King, TH White, One Piece, Only Murders In The Building, The Boys, The Powerpuff Girls, Mulan, The Devil Wears Prada, Drishyam, Helen, The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner, Poetry Foundation
Zencastr Offer Link: https://zen.ai/RyFqAp3Eu9MNOFMmxzuy27Zh1S6TcJuGEEiK4pTHopo
Use Code CLOSETWRITER to get 30% off!
Social Media:
Instagram - @theclosetwriterchronicles
Twitter - @TheMoodyMarsh
Email - [email protected]
Music:
Beat Provided By https://freebeats.io
Produced By White Hot
-
The episode opens with Sadaf talking about what creativity and storytelling means to him. We talk about how his interest in food was sparked and trace his journey from starting a pop-up cafe, being on MasterChef India, and going on to carve a career in food! Sadaf shares some fun anecdotes along the conversation. We chat about stories, writing, his latest book for children 'The Carrot Soup', and his upcoming projects. Sadaf also talks about how making mistakes can help you grow and misconceptions people have about his job. The episode ends with an excerpt from the book 'Forgotten Foods' written and narrated by Sadaf.
Sadaf Hussain is a chef, writer and food history enthusiast. He has written two food books to date, and has two more lined up to be released next year, including illustrated books and a book on spices. He also worked on a study of Rampur cuisine with the University of Sheffield, UK. He is a TedX speaker and is a host of the award winning Indian food podcast, Naan Curry. You can find him on Instagram @sadaf_hussain and X (Twitter) @hussainsadaf1
Mentions: Sanjeev Kapoor, Tarla Dalal, Daawat, Pushpesh Pant, Manjeet Gill, Jiks Karla, Tarun Sibal, Vikas Khanna, Ranveer Brar, Gordon Ramsay, Marco Pierre, Anthony Bourdain, Nigella Lawson, Padma Laxmi, Ogilvy, Chota Bheem, Bohri Kitchen, Take Home Chef, Curtis Stone, Adam Smith, Desi Delicacies, Forgotten Foods, Dastan-E-Dastarkhwaan, University Of Sheffield, Durjoy Datta, Chacha Chowdhary, Archie, Tinkle, Amar Chitra Katha, Doga, Pinky, Super Commando Dhruv, Vikram Doctor, Bombay Canteen, Dexter’s Labaratory, Dexter, Peaky Blinders, How I Met Your Mother, Friends, The Big Bang Theory, Game Of Thrones, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, Chetan Bhagat, William Wordsworth, Ali Sethi, Lupin, Kohrra
Zencastr Offer Link: https://zen.ai/RyFqAp3Eu9MNOFMmxzuy27Zh1S6TcJuGEEiK4pTHopo
Use Code CLOSETWRITER to get 30% off!
Social Media:
Instagram - @theclosetwriterchronicles
Twitter - @TheMoodyMarsh
Email - [email protected]
Music:
Beat Provided By https://freebeats.io
Produced By White Hot
-
Cyclone Michaung struck Chennai earlier this month which lead to power and wifi connectivity issues. Hence, the episode has been delayed to next weekend. Do tune in to previous episodes and listen to this if you're curious to know who next week's guest is!
Social Media:
Instagram - @theclosetwriterchronicles
Twitter - @TheMoodyMarsh
Email - [email protected]
Music:
Beat Provided By https://freebeats.io
Produced By White Hot
-
The episode opens with Adithi's thoughts on creativity & storytelling. She shares how her interest in nature started and how that lead her to study about it. We talk about her children's book and her interest in birding. We also delve into what her role as a teacher and curriculum designer is like. Later, Adithi talks about books and shows that have influenced her and shares resources for environment education. The episode ends with excerpts from pieces written & narrated by Adithi.
Adithi Muralidhar has done a post graduation in Zoology and in Educational Communication. She works as a Scientific Officer with a national education-research institute where she designs and develops resources for science, design and environment curriculum. She is a nature enthusiast and her love for nature has taken her across the length and breadth of India, working with various local and national organizations, state forest departments, NGOs and initiatives. Her volunteering has included radio-tracking King Cobras, carrying out transect-surveys to estimate Tiger-prey population, photo-documentation of herpetofauna, bird-surveys, plateau surveys, education projects etc. She runs a nature blog called Earthly Notes (www.earthlynotes.com) and has extensively published pedagogical and popular articles on environment education. You can find her on Instagram @theearthlynotes and on X (Twitter) @Adithi_M
Mentions: Crystal Maze, Takeshi’s Castle, The Magic School Bus, Rainbow Fish, The Hidden Life Of Trees, Studio Ghibli, Only Yesterday, Howl’s Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke, Woman At War, Occupied, The Last Of Us, Pedro Pascal, Entangled Life, Merlin Sheldrake, Cornell Lab Of Ornithology, Where The Leaves Fall, Center For Humans And Nature, Earthly Notes, John Muir Laws, Early Bird, Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), Sanctuary Asia, The Living Museum, Salim Mamoo And Me, Zai Whitaker
Zencastr Offer Link: https://zen.ai/RyFqAp3Eu9MNOFMmxzuy27Zh1S6TcJuGEEiK4pTHopo
Use Code CLOSETWRITER to get 30% off!
Social Media:
Instagram - @theclosetwriterchronicles
Twitter - @TheMoodyMarsh
Email - [email protected]
Music:
Beat Provided By https://freebeats.io
Produced By White Hot
-
The episode opens with Nainika talking about what dance, storytelling & writing means to her. She shares how she got into Kathak, her time at Kathak Kendra and how her relationship with the dance form has evolved. We delve into how she decided to pursue psychology and specialisation in Dance Movement Therapy. We talk about the importance of mentorship, Mental Health and the confusion of therapy v/s feeling therapeutic. We also share a lot of book recommendations! The episode ends with an excerpt of a blog post written & narrated by Nainika.
Nainika Mukherjee has received 18 years of training in Kathak. In 2016, she joined Kathak Kendra in New Delhi and completed her Diploma with Honours, as well as achieved a "Distinction" in her Post Diploma under the able tutelage of the legendary Guru Pt. Rajendra Gangani. Parallel to her dance journey, Nainika is pursuing an M.A. in Psychology, exploring the "Impact of Dance and Movement on Stress and Mental Health" through her dissertation. She also studied Dance Movement Therapy at Mumbai's prestigious Tata Institute of Social Sciences. You can find her on Instagram @nainikamukherjee
Mentions: Shiamak Davar, Smt. Swati Sinha, Pandit Rajendra Gangani, Sangeet Natak Academy, Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar, Bound, Michelle D’Costa, Aishwarya Javalgekar, Tara Khandelwal, Pragya Bhagat, The Wire, Jhumpa Lahiri, Amitav Ghosh, Whereabouts, A Man Called Ove, Anxious People, Normal People, Less, These Precious Days by Anne Patchett, Lighter Than My Shadow, Atomic Habits, Twelve Rules Of Life, Ikigai, Adam Grant, Brene Brown, Call To Courage, Netflix, I Want To Die But I Want To eat Tteokbokki, Maybe You Should Talk To Someone
Zencastr Offer Link: https://zen.ai/RyFqAp3Eu9MNOFMmxzuy27Zh1S6TcJuGEEiK4pTHopo
Use Code CLOSETWRITER to get 30% off!
Social Media:
Instagram - @theclosetwriterchronicles
Twitter - @TheMoodyMarsh
Email - [email protected]
Music:
Beat Provided By https://freebeats.io
Produced By White Hot
-
The episode opens with Anisha talking about what writing & creativity means to her. We chat about how she decided to pursue a career in the art world, her influences & inspiration, and how she decided to pursue a PhD. Anisha talks about her research and thesis - 'The Cow, Caste and Contemporary Art in India: Aesthetic Ecologies and Social Hierarchies in the Twenty-First Century'. She shares how her work is collaborative and what she means by that, as well as how she uses the lens of personal & collective histories to interpret art. We also share book recommendations and resources for art education. The episode ends with an article written & narrated by Anisha.
Anisha is a PhD scholar in History of Art at the University of Edinburgh. Her research focuses on the image of the cow in contemporary Indian art, and its intersections with caste and animal studies. She has presented her research at conferences and workshops around the world, and convenes the Climate & Colonialism Reading Group at the Paul Mellon Centre, London. You can find her on Instagram @anishapalat
Mentions: Young World, Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, Sotheby’s, Christy’s, Amal Clooney, Geeta Kapur, Alamelu Annamalai, Kirtika Kain, Sajan Mani, Suraj Yengde, B.R. Ambedkar, Siddhesh Gautam, Bakery Prasad, Tale Of The Horse by Yashawini Chandra, Art Fervour, John Berger, Gardner’s Art Through The Ages, MOMA, Google arts and culture, Fake Or Fortune, Verneer, Girl with The Pearl earring, Picture of Dorian Grey, Little Women, Louisa May Alcott, Monet, Matisse, Roald Dahl, Quentin Blake, Persepolis, Marijanne Satrapi, Ritika Merchant, Studio Ghibli, Howl’s Moving Castle, Spirited Away, The Boy and The Heron, Enid Blyton, Anne Of Green Gables, Harry Potter, Dutch House, Anne Patchett, Elena Ferrante, Elmet by Fiona Musli, Cobalt Blue, The Travelling Cat Chronicles, Balzack and the Little Chinese Seamstress, Embroideries, Hamnet, The Marriage Portrait
Zencastr Offer Link: https://zen.ai/RyFqAp3Eu9MNOFMmxzuy27Zh1S6TcJuGEEiK4pTHopo
Use Code CLOSETWRITER to get 30% off!
Social Media:
Instagram - @theclosetwriterchronicles
Twitter - @TheMoodyMarsh
Email - [email protected]
Music:
Beat Provided By https://freebeats.io
Produced By White Hot
-
It’s our bonus episode and we’re talking all things reviews, books & films! What is the difference between a reviewer and critic? How do you stay objective while reviewing a story? All this and a lot more on this informative and fun chat with some of the best in their fields. Tune in!
Aditya Mani Jha is currently a freelance writer but has been Books Editor at The Hindu Business Line in the past, and Commissioning Editor at Penguin Random House India. You can find his articles on books and films in India Today, Mint Lounge, Open magazine andseveral other publications.
Deepanjana Pal is a culture critic, writer and podcaster. She has worked with Time Out Mumbai, Elle, Newslaundry, and Hindustan Times to name a few. She is currently the Managing Editor at FilmCompanion.
Suchin Mehrotra is a critic and host of Streaming with Suchin and the podcast The Streaming Show. You’ll find his articles on Firstpost, Hindustan Times and other publications.
Mentions: Pauline Kale, Roger Ebert, Robert Gottlieb, Naresh Fernandez, Pratham Books, Bijal Vachrajani, Susan Sontag,Against Interpretation, Yellowface, Anurag Kashyap, Wes Anderson, Adipurush, Christopher Nolan, Kangana Ranaut, George Miller, Still Born, Guadalupe Nettel, The Sellout, Paul Beatty, Andrei Tarkovsky, Pedro Almodovar, Sculpting In Time, Maggie Nelson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nadine Labaki, Chup by R.Balki, RichardFord, Colson Whitehead, The Human Stain by Philip Roth
Social Media:
Instagram - @theclosetwriterchronicles
Twitter - @TheMoodyMarsh
Email - [email protected]
Music:
Beat Provided By https://freebeats.io
Produced By White Hot
- Show more
