Welcome to a ‘slim pickings’ edition of Lit Pickers. In these short editions we answer some burning questions that have been asked by you, the reader, and joining us is the lovely Mae Thomas. In this episode the trio discuss some easy and resourceful ways you can keep a journal, the pros and cons of some of the brands (there’s even talk of poo paper) and Deepanjana talks about how journaling helped her keep track and make sense of things during lockdown days. You can find Supriya Nair at @supriy...
Oct 08, 2021•13 min•Season 1Ep. 22
She’s everyone and their aunt’s favourite children’s author, but Enid Blyton’s books are a cultural minefield. We talk about “goblins”, Moonface, the naughtiest girls and more as we look back at Blyton’s writing to see what’s aged well and how her work has been tailored in recent years to be politically correct. You can find Supriya Nair at @supriyanair and Deepanjana Pal at @dpanjana on Instagram. This is a Maed In India Production; check us out at www.maedinindia.in . Theme Music: Easy Wanderl...
Sep 30, 2021•22 min•Season 1Ep. 21
Welcome to a ‘slim pickings’ edition of Lit Pickers. In these short editions we answer some burning questions that have been asked by you, the reader, and joining us is the lovely Mae Thomas. This week the trio discuss what makes a decent bookmark. Things take a bit of a dark turn when they start discussing the grossest things they've used as bookmarks and then Supriya drops a bombshell that might be sacrilege for bibliophiles around the globe. You do not want to miss this. You can find Supriya ...
Sep 23, 2021•12 min•Season 1Ep. 20
K-drama and K-pop have put South Korea on the cultural map, and there’s more to explore in Korean culture. In this episode, we give you a quick look at the literature that the Koreas — both South and North — have inspired. Grab your ramyeon and listen up as we talk about books with strong women protagonists, plastic surgeries, fever dreams, family sagas and more. You can find Supriya Nair at @supriyanair and Deepanjana Pal at @dpanjana on Instagram. This is a Maed In India Production; check us o...
Sep 16, 2021•35 min•Season 1Ep. 19
Welcome to a ‘slim pickings’ edition of Lit Pickers. In these short editions we answer some burning questions that have been asked by you, the reader, and joining us is the lovely Mae Thomas. In this episode, the trio discuss some of their favourite libraries and bookish nooks around the city and memories of reading places they treasured while growing up. They also discuss why libraries are important public spaces and list a few volunteer-run libraries which you can visit and spread the word abo...
Sep 09, 2021•12 min•Season 1Ep. 18
Are romance novels your guilty pleasure? In this episode, we talk about why your lust for romance fiction is nothing to be ashamed of and why romance deserves a lot more respect than it gets. From progressive politics to racy Mills & Boons paperbacks, there’s much to love about happily-ever-afters. You can find Supriya Nair at @supriyanair and Deepanjana Pal at @dpanjana on Instagram. This is a Maed In India Production; check us out at www.maedinindia.in . Theme Music: Easy Wanderlings - Her...
Sep 02, 2021•23 min•Season 1Ep. 17
Welcome to a ‘slim pickings’ edition of Lit Pickers. In these short editions we answer some burning questions that have been asked by you, the reader, and joining us is the lovely Mae Thomas. In this episode, we bring you a tasting menu of books, ranging from recipe collections, memoirs, novels about trippy meals, history of everyday ingredients and more. Whether you're looking for a gift for a home chef or a food nerd, there's something here to tickle pretty much every tastebud. You can find Su...
Aug 26, 2021•12 min•Season 1Ep. 16
In this episode, we discuss the literary man’s best friend — a male author. Join us as we examine the kinds of masculinity that authors past and present have idealised in novels. Grab a drink, because it’s frustrating just how flawed and difficult the manly heroes of literature are. You can find Supriya Nair at @supriyanair and Deepanjana Pal at @dpanjana on Instagram. This is a Maed In India Production; check us out at www.maedinindia.in . Theme Music: Easy Wanderlings - Here’s to You If you ha...
Aug 19, 2021•30 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Welcome to Slim Pickings, a quickie session in which Lit Pickers Supriya Nair and Deepanjana Pal sit down with one of their favourite podcasters Mae Thomas to answer your burning questions about all things bookish. This time, the conversation covers some of their favourite kiddie fiction and the trio talk about how scary stories aren't necessarily only for grown-ups. You can find Supriya Nair at @supriyanair , Deepanjana Pal at @dpanjana and Mae Thomas at @maemariyam on Instagram. This is a Maed...
Aug 12, 2021•10 min•Season 1Ep. 14
Ah, escapism! Everyone craves it, but what exactly constitutes a good 'escapist' novel? Dragons? Wuxia warriors? The bygone eras of historic cities? Join us as we explore in this episode. You can find Supriya Nair at @supriyanair and Deepanjana Pal at @dpanjana on Instagram. This is a Maed In India Production; check us out at www.maedinindia.in . Theme Music: Easy Wanderlings - Here’s to You If you have any books, reading or literature-related questions, please email us at [email protected]. For a...
Aug 05, 2021•25 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Deepanjana and Supriya sign off on the Lit Pickers with an ‘Ask Me Anything’ episode, taking questions from listeners on how, what and why to read (and write). If you want to know how to read during an existential global crisis, how to think about empathy through literature or just want some fun recommendations for romance novels, tune in. Warnings for the usual confusion about who sounds like whom, and the subtle sense that the episode was recorded underwater. For a list of all the books mentio...
Apr 06, 2020•43 min•Season 1Ep. 12
The books are good, but can we talk for a minute or thirty about these prizes, please. Does a culture of book prizes keep modern literature youthful and well-funded? Is patronage culture good at separating great books from trendy ones? You can find Supriya Nair at @supriyanair and Deepanjana Pal at @dpanjana . This is a Maed In India Production; check us out at www.maedinindia.in . If you have any books, reading or literature-related questions, please email us at [email protected] . For a list of ...
Mar 30, 2020•26 min•Season 1Ep. 11
It’s time to talk about growing out and getting up, up and away from the most influential novels of (probably) our lifetimes. We talk about going from knowing everything about the Harry Potter universe to knowing everything that went wrong with us because of that. JK Rowling, thanks for everything, but we read ye a little too well. You can find Supriya Nair at @supriyanair and Deepanjana Pal at @dpanjana . This is a Maed In India Production; check us out at www.maedinindia.in If you have any boo...
Mar 23, 2020•19 min•Season 1Ep. 10
We’re in a golden age of popular history writing about the Mughals. Think of the last two years, with books about everyone from Aurangzeb to his great-great auntie coming our way. Join us as we discuss The Most Extra Family, father-son relationships and the women behind the throne. You can find Supriya Nair at @supriyanair and Deepanjana Pal at @dpanjana . This is a Maed In India Production; check us out at www.maedinindia.in . If you have any books, reading or literature-related questions, plea...
Mar 16, 2020•29 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Welcome to an episode of feminist book recommendations. We pass the mic back and forth in a relay race of books we love that we think everyone should read. You can find Supriya Nair at @supriyanair and Deepanjana Pal at @dpanjana . This is a Maed In India Production; check us out at www.maedinindia.in
Mar 09, 2020•20 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Why is everyone wrong about Jane Austen all the time? We talk about how she changed the world, how she became Asian, and modern responses to her work, including works by Laaleen Sukhera and Mahesh Rao. Join us as we talk about women in love with property, girls not dying after sex, and men who are expected to be decent human beings. You can find Supriya Nair at @supriyanair and Deepanjana Pal at @dpanjana . This is a Maed In India Production; check us out at www.maedinindia.in...
Mar 02, 2020•25 min•Season 1Ep. 7
This episode is about Hum Aapke Hain Koun…! Kidding. It’s about the Ramayana and its many lives in modern India, including novels by Amitabha Bagchi and Volga; AK Ramanujan (‘sup *__*), a Bengali woman’s Ramayana, and Valmiki’s other Ramayana. We discuss the epic as a very personal experience — as well as a deeply political tract. You can find Supriya Nair at @supriyanair and Deepanjana Pal at @dpanjana . This is a Maed In India Production; check us out at www.maedinindia.in...
Feb 24, 2020•26 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Just a deeply uncool, unfashionable, unapologetic, almost sad episode of fannish love for JRR Tolkien. Listen, if you dare, to us revisit the fascinating history of the composition of the Lord of the Rings and its place in World War I literature. Also featured: maps, languages, Viggo Mortensen’s facial features. You can find Supriya Nair at @supriyanair and Deepanjana Pal at @dpanjana . This is a Maed In India Production; check us out at www.maedinindia.in...
Feb 17, 2020•24 min•Season 1Ep. 5
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 politics randomly, no other reason. You can find Supriya Nair at @supriyanair and Deepanjana Pal at...
Feb 10, 2020•22 min•Season 1Ep. 4
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 to fan fiction; Noddy to Nabokov — to help you kickstart your reading habit. You can find Supriya Na...
Feb 03, 2020•29 min•Season 1Ep. 3
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 our fists and a few poems. You can find Supriya Nair at @supriyanair and Deepanjana Pal at @dpanjan...
Jan 27, 2020•22 min•Season 1Ep. 2
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 to bring you our highly subjective lowdown on lit fests. You can find Supriya Nair at @supriyanair an...
Jan 20, 2020•32 min•Season 1Ep. 1
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?
Jan 03, 2020•2 min
