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. Admit it — there are some books that you absolutely do not want to revisit. It might be because you can’t go through the heartbreak of reading it again or because they were flat-out terrible. Or maybe you just outgrew them. Find out which books won’t be finding shelf space on our trio’s bookshelves and...

If there's one thing lockdowns have made us appreciate, it's our neighbourhood. In this episode, we look at some of our favourite books set in Mumbai's western neighbourhoods, from Mahim to Santacruz (with a couple of detours here and there). There are no tourists in these areas, only stories from a wide range of genres. SoBo, eat your heart out. You can find Supriya Nair at @supriyanair and Deepanjana Pal at @dpanjana on Instagram. This is a Maed In India Production; check us out...

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 three discuss whether making notes on the books you read is a mark of a keen reader or sacrilege.  You can find Supriya Nair at @supriyanair, Deepanjana Pal at @dpanjana and Mae Thomas at @maemariyam on Instagram. This is a Maed In India Production; check us out at www.maedinindia.in.  ...

Turning our backs to our TBR pile, we draw up a wish list of the fiction we wish would come out of the Indian literary scene. A novel about friendship in today's India? What about ditching the fixation with mother-daughter relationships, and instead writing about aunties? And isn't it about time we had fantasy fiction that wasn't rooted in religious mythology? You can find Supriya Nair at @supriyanair, Deepanjana Pal at @dpanjana and Mae Thomas at @maemariyam on Instagram. This is a Maed...

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 the importance of forewords. Are forewords too academic? Will Supriya hunt you down if you skip reading one? Listen in to find out more. You can find Supriya Nair at @supriyanair, Deepanjana Pal at @dpanjana and Mae Thomas at @maemariyam on Instagram. This is a Maed...

There's something about famous women writers that ruffles feathers and raises hackles. In this episode, we raise a toast to some writers, across the ages, who've upset the establishment in different ways. From Andal to Shobhaa Dé and Arundhati Roy, we put the 'scan' in scandalous women.  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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 ...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 (https://www.instagram.com/supriyanair/) and Deepanjana Pal at @dpanjana (https://www.instagram.com/dpanjana/) . This is a Maed In India Production; check us out at www.maedinindia.in (https://www.maedinindia.in/) . If...

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 (https://www.instagram.com/supriyanair/) and Deepanjana Pal at @dpanjana (https://www.instagram.com/dpanjana/) . This is...

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 (https://www.instagram.com/supriyanair/) and Deepanjana Pal at @dpanjana (https://www.instagram.com/dpanjana/) . This is a Maed In India Production; check us out at...

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 (https://www.instagram.com/supriyanair/) and Deepanjana Pal at @dpanjana (https://www.instagram.com/dpanjana/) . This is a Maed In India Production; check us out at www.maedinindia.in (https://www.maedinindia.in/)

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 (https://www.instagram.com/supriyanair/) and Deepanjana Pal at @dpanjana (https://www.instagram.com/dpanjana/) . This...

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 (https://www.instagram.com/supriyanair/) and Deepanjana Pal at @dpanjana (https://www.instagram.com/dpanjana/) . This is...

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 (https://www.instagram.com/supriyanair/) and Deepanjana Pal at @dpanjana (https://www.instagram.com/dpanjana/) . This is a Maed In India...