Birthday Economics: What Celebrating Taught Me About Writing

 

The Burden of the Birthday Host

In India, your birthday isn't really yours. It belongs to everyone you've ever shared a cup of tea with, plus their cousins, their colleagues, and that neighbour who helped you carry groceries once three years ago. The unspoken rule is simple: it's your special day, so you pay for everyone else to celebrate it.

Topics: Between Worlds, Writer in Residence, lifeinlondon

When Stories Drop In

What Sunday Lunch Taught Me About Writing

I used to think my mother was terrible at meal planning. Every Sunday, she'd cook enough rajma chawal for maybe four people, then somehow manage to feed eight (and no, ‘rajma chawal’ isn’t ‘curry’. Every Indian dish is not a curry and there’s a post coming soon about this pet peeve of mine). The extra guests weren't invited - they just appeared, like characters in a story you hadn't planned to write.

Topics: Between Worlds, Writer in Residence, lifeinlondon

 

Grocery Shopping as Cultural Archaeology

Or: How I Learned That Seven Types of Hummus Is Apparently Normal

Topics: Between Worlds, Writer in Residence, lifeinlondon

 

The Theatre Revolution I Never Saw Coming

Or: How I Learned That “What Did You Think of the Second Act?” Is Actual Small Talk

Topics: Between Worlds, Writer in Residence, lifeinlondon

 

Animation: From Children's Treat to Universal Language

Or: How I Discovered That Adults Sobbing Over Animated Characters Is Considered Normal Behaviour

Topics: Between Worlds, Writer in Residence, lifeinlondon

 

Thames vs The Arabian Sea: Love Letters to Water

Or: How I Learned to Love Two Very Different Water Bodies

Topics: Between Worlds, Writer in Residence, lifeinlondon

 

The Geography of Missing: How Home Became Plural

Or: How I Learned That Homesickness Isn't Actually About Geography

Topics: Between Worlds, Writer in Residence, lifeinlondon

 

Publishing Culture: Books as Living, Breathing Entities

Or: How I Learned That Dog-Eared Pages Are Actually Love Letters

Topics: Between Worlds, Writer in Residence, lifeinlondon

The Silence Spectrum: From Mumbai Noise to London Hush

Topics: Between Worlds, Writer in Residence, lifeinlondon

The Bollywood Explanation Project

Topics: Between Worlds, Writer in Residence, lifeinlondon