This podcast hosts writers, readers, artists, and activists who listen to, read, or document &#34;queer&#34; stories and their afterlives. This space hopes to hold conversations that question what queerness in India feels, looks, and sounds like. It may push Indian writers and publishers, especially upper-caste Hindus to check their cultural and social capital and interrogate the Indian dominance in South Asia and studies on South Asia. It is an attempt to share joy or discomfort, suspicion, or solidarity, or just gossip and flirt. Though this podcast is an extension of my research interests, it is neither funded by my current institution nor meant to be an academic engagement as such. As a curator who is upper-caste, I hope to work harder to not replicate Savarna ways of producing knowledge. I also recognize the labor of sharing stories and intend to compensate some guests, either with honoraria or by other means, depending on what they may desire.

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2023/12/30/8/d88fef56-414f-4156-b145-2cca48375dc7_niladri_chatterjee.mp3

In this interview, Dr Chatterjee shares why he decided to translate Krishnogopal Mallick&#39;s work. The book, Entering the Maze: Queer Fiction of Krishnagopal Mallick opens us to questions about age, desire, and masculinity. Chatterjee also reflects on the need to give more visibility to Bengali literature that addresses queer issues. Additionally, he shares his experiences of being a professor at Kalyani University and collaborating with Sappho for Equality.Note: This interview was specifically requested by the publisher, Niyogi Books.এই সাক্ষাত্কারে, নীলাদ্রি আর চ্যাটার্জি শেয়ার করেছেন কেন তিনি কৃষ্ণগোপাল মল্লিকের কাজ অনুবাদ করার সিদ্ধান্ত নিয়েছিলেন। বইটি, এন্টারিং দ্য মেজ: কৃষ্ণগোপাল মল্লিকের কুইর ফিকশন আমাদের বয়স, আকাঙ্ক্ষা এবং পুরুষত্ব সম্পর্কে প্রশ্ন উন্মুক্ত করে। চ্যাটার্জি বাংলা সাহিত্যকে আরও দৃশ্যমানতা দেওয়ার প্রয়োজনীয়তার প্রতিও প্রতিফলিত করেছেন যা বিচিত্র বিষয়গুলিকে সম্বোধন করে। উপরন্তু, তিনি কল্যাণী বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের অধ্যাপক হওয়ার এবং সাফো ফর ইকুয়ালিটির সাথে সহযোগিতা করার অভিজ্ঞতা শেয়ার করেন।দ্রষ্টব্য: এই সাক্ষাৎকারটি বিশেষভাবে প্রকাশক নিয়োগী বুকস দ্বারা অনুরোধ করা হয়েছিল।

Episode 33 with professor of English, Niladri R. Chatterjee

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Episode 32 with activist, organizer and educator সুমি দাস (Summi Dass)

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2023/8/31/6/53bdc6f6-5f46-42e4-ad5f-4593f0173e17_anita_cherian_.mp3

Performance Studies scholar, Dr Cherian discusses the limits of subversion in Indian classical dance. She revisits her article on Narthaki Nataraj and Kalakrishna, and explains the political processes that led to the formation of the category of &#34;classical.&#34; She reflects on the composition of the audiences for classical dance performances across different cities while addressing the questions of caste capital and appropriation. She also touches upon the challenges of being a Dean in a public university, and the ways in which she is able to center care in her everyday work as an administrator.

Episode 31 with Associate Professor of Literary Art, Anita E. Cherian

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Episode 30 with activist and organizer অরি রায় চৌধুরী (Ari Roy Chowdhuri)

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Queer rights activist Rohin Bhatt has been at the forefront of the struggle for marriage equality in the Supreme Court of India. We discuss the legality of the matter and the arguments from the opposing bodies. Bhatt insists that the demand for horizontal reservation for trans people should get more attention. He also explains his role as a bioethicist and elaborates on the small wins for gender inclusivity on the Supreme Court premises.

Episode 29 with lawyer and bioethicist Rohin Bhatt

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2023/6/20/20/418fd7c8-2e47-466f-bc18-edb4f3b9d392_dibya_2nd_draft.mp3

In my first-ever interview with a publisher, Sarma, the founder of Red River gives me an insider&#39;s account of what small-scale and independent publishing looks like in India. He discusses the joys and the risks involved in creating a poetry book. Sarma also reflects on the making of Whistling in the Dark: Twenty-One Queer Interviews which he co-edited with R Raj Rao. Editor: Shubang Gautam

Episode 28 with publisher Dibyajyoti Sarma

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2023/4/18/21/9f9057e5-3c5e-4709-993f-1cb06e1e5d3e_jyoti_second_draft_.mp3

&#34;Candles are my claim, hula hoop, my release&#34;Known for her handmade aromatic candles, Jyoti Singh shares what it means to tell a story with wax and dry flowers. This story is also informed by her belief in anti-caste politics and social and political justice. She also tells me how trauma changed her body&#39;s relationship with dance. This prompted her to seek refuge in the hula hoop. Editor: Shubang Gautam

Episode 27 with artist Jyoti Singh

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2023/3/4/8/5cb053bd-c5bf-45fb-bd05-1a8d2287fd91_debolina_2nd_draft.mp3

Dey shares their standpoint on queer politics and why &#34;queer&#34; as an adjective matters more to them. We speak about poetry, queer pedagogy, intimacy, and identity politics. Dey also reflects on belongingness and exile, about living in Delhi and being brought up in Siliguri. She asks, &#34;Can Bengalis imagine having a Nepali CM?&#34; Editor: Shubang Gautam

Episode 26 with poet and teacher Debolina Dey

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2023/2/26/5/d02f9213-c383-4e87-b76e-9a7f7b0e5b19_minakshi_sanyal.mp3

I spoke to Minakshi Sanyal aka Malobikadi about her co-edited anthology, Monologue: Lesbian Narrative of Bangladesh and West Bengal, and her journey in relation to Sappho for Equality. We reflect on the distinctions between &#34;bari&#34; and flat and what it means to be at home. She shares her experiences of collaborating with Anindya Hazra on the Dialogues: Calcutta International LGBTQIA+ Film and Video Festival. Working across movements and organizations is key to her feminist vision. Malobika di also expresses her disappointment and anger at being excluded from intra-community events and initiatives that were led and dominated by cis-gay men.

Episode 25 with feminist Minakshi Sanyal (Malobika di)

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In his interview which was conducted in October 2022, Pradhan shares how he negotiates different places of belonging and what that means for his queerness in a globalized world. We discuss his forthcoming anthology and the process of writing and performing for digital platforms. In response to a question, Pradhan also shares some critiques of Kaustav Chakraborty&#39;s book which tries to &#34;queer&#34; tribal folktales. *Audio editor: Shubang Gautam*

Episode 24 with poet and researcher Anil Pradhan

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2022/11/16/18/c12dfa6e-4d8c-4920-b7c1-ec692cea1342_santa_khurai.mp3

Santa Khurai who is a Manipuri indigenous Nupi Maanbi shares her insights on the challenges of doing activism in the region. She takes a strong stand against racism and colonialism which impacts how mainland India treats people from the Northeast. A poet and an artist, she wants to be recognized as a writer, rather than a trans writer.

Episode 23 with writer and gender rights activist Santa Khurai

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2022/11/3/3/e98dec6b-a774-44fc-a41f-ce861b4e3d93_rachana.mp3

Mudraboyina, the co-founder of Telangana Hijra Transgender Intersex Samiti and TransVision discusses how religion can be a site of negotiation for trans people. She explains what respect means for trans sex workers and what are the challenges of archiving the contribution of trans people to the Telangana movement.

Episode 22 with transgender rights activist & digital content creator Rachana Mudraboyina

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2022/10/12/1/5c1576dc-3c4c-44da-b423-e8881065df74_gourab_ghosh.mp3

Currently teaching in Mumbai, Gourab Ghosh is the &#34;first openly gay candidate to contest a university election.&#34; He believes that a Queer-Left alliance is the need of the hour. Ghosh shares the processes of filming for Debalina Majumder&#39;s Gay Matrimony and the importance of law in the life of LGBTQ+ people.

Episode 21 with CPI(M) member and theatre activist Gourab Ghosh

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Professor Vanita explains the processes that went into the making of Same-Sex Love in India. She emphasizes the need to make academic scholarship more accessible to the general reader. Vanita also shares her thoughts on the legalization of gay marriages and what that would mean for Indian gay and lesbian subjects.

Episode 20 with academic and writer Ruth Vanita

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I interviewed Hoshang at his Hyderabad apartment while he was still recovering from the flu. He had just returned from an event in Shimla. We spoke about the afterlives of his edited anthology, Yaraana: Gay Writing from India (1999), and non-fiction publications such as Gay Icons of India (2019) and All My Masters: An East-West Encounter (2021). The poet-writer remains unapologetic about his choices even as he calls out fellow LGBTQ+ writers for being egoistic or staying in the closet. Hoshang also revisits his relationship with his father and emphasizes the need for care and intimacy during the COVID pandemic.

Episode 19 with poet and writer Hoshang Merchant

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2022/9/19/2/0c34d8a3-0e3e-400f-aed9-f51155f7fb2a_ashwini_.mp3

&#34;artifacts have a place in the archive&#34;Ashwini Sukthankar recollects the processes that went into the making of the anthology, Facing the Mirror: Lesbian Writing from India (1999). She also shares her thoughts on the 2019 edition&#39;s book cover and the institution of gay marriage. Sukthankar also believes that transnational labor movements can make strong alliances possible.

Episode 18 with editor and labor activist, Ashwini Sukthankar

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2022/9/11/2/bc2a1e81-5670-4821-8122-705578dcb350_sintu.mp3

সিন্টু বাগুই পশ্চিমবঙ্গের শেওড়াফুলিতে অবস্থিত একজন ট্রান্স অ্যাক্টিভিস্ট এবং সমাজকর্মী। তিনি পশ্চিমবঙ্গ রাজ্যে লোক আদালতের বিচারক হওয়া দ্বিতীয় ট্রান্স মহিলা। এই সাক্ষাত্কারে (বাংলা/বাংলায় পরিচালিত) সিন্টু ট্রান্স সম্প্রদায়ের মৌলিক চাহিদা পূরণে রাজ্য প্রশাসনের ব্যর্থতার কথা পুনর্ব্যক্ত করেছেন, যেমন ট্রান্সজেন্ডার সার্টিফিকেট প্রদান। তিনি COVID মহামারীর তিনটি পর্যায়ে তহবিল সংগ্রহকারীদের রাজনীতির ব্যাখ্যাও দেন এবং LGBTQ+ চেনাশোনা জুড়ে সংহতি এবং একচেটিয়া উভয়ের উদাহরণ স্মরণ করেন।(অডিওটিতে স্ট্যাটিক রয়েছে যা সরানো যায়নি।) Sintu Bagui is a trans activist and social worker based out of Sheoraphuli, West Bengal. She is the second transwoman to become the judge of a Lok Adalat (People&#39;s Court) in the state of West Bengal. In this interview (conducted in Bangla/Bengali) Sintu reiterates the failures of the state administration to fulfill the basic needs of the trans community, such as the issuing of transgender certificates. She also explains the politics of fundraisers during the three stages of the COVID pandemic and recollects instances of both solidarity and exclusivity across LGBTQ+ circles. (The audio contains static that couldn&#39;t be removed.)

Episode 17 with social worker সিন্টু বাগুই (Sintu Bagui)

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Premankur and I discuss our critiques of Bollywood and the representation of LGBTQ+ people in news media. He shares his opinions about companionship and the institution of marriage. P.S. Do check out the new intro voiceover, and let me know how it sounds

Episode 16 with journalist Premankur Biswas

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2022/8/18/5/7ef0f00b-e4e4-4201-9bb3-344271d99549_rituparna_borah.mp3

Rituparna shares her experiences within the queer activist circles in Delhi. She emphasizes the lack of conversations on race and indigeneity and her changing perceptions of marriage and companionship.

Episode 15 with queer feminist and peer counsellor, Rituparna Borah

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2022/8/7/17/e244779f-5800-45ea-94e0-a96b521a14c3_sandip_roy.mp3

Sandip Roy discusses his writing process and the way in which a story need not conform to expectations of political correctness. He answers specific questions related to the plot of Don&#39;t Let Him Know. Sandip also shares some tips on how to make a good podcast!

Episode 14 with novelist and journalist Sandip Roy

This podcast hosts writers, readers, artists, and activists who listen to, read, or document "queer" stories and their afterlives. This space hopes to hold conversations that question what queerness in India feels, looks, and sounds like. It may push Indian writers and publishers, especially upper-caste Hindus to check their cultural and social capital and interrogate the Indian dominance in South Asia and studies on South Asia. It is an attempt to share joy or discomfort, suspicion, or solidarity, or just gossip and flirt. Though this podcast is an extension of my research interests, it is neither funded by my current institution nor meant to be an academic engagement as such. As a curator who is upper-caste, I hope to work harder to not replicate Savarna ways of producing knowledge. I also recognize the labor of sharing stories and intend to compensate some guests, either with honoraria or by other means, depending on what they may desire.