Shows
Keen On AmericaA Satirist's Revenge on Wall Street: From Trading Hedge Funds to Telling StoriesIt’s the fantasy of countless Wall Street analysts. Amran Gowani traded his lucrative career in hedge funds for the scarily solitary world of novel writing. His debut satirical novel Leverage draws from his insider experience at investment banks and hedge funds, exposing the toxic culture and perverse incentives that drive corporate America's financial sector. In this bracingly frank conversation, Gowani confesses his transformation from organic chemistry PhD dropout to pharmaceutical marketing executive to Wall Street analyst, and finally to full-time novelist. He reveals the harsh economic realities of publishing fiction, the challenges of first-time no...2025-07-1328 min
The Lit Hub PodcastApril 4, 2025Well books are about to get a lot more expensive, as is everything else, and there's no hiding from the fact that these tariffs really suck! But we're going to talk (mostly) about other things this week—like the trailer drop for the new season of The Cosmic Library, like some upcoming weird books you should pre-order as suggested by Molly Odintz, and the first in a run of Lit Hub staffers reading poetry in celebration of National Poetry Month!* Listen to The Cosmic Library—new episodes Wednesdays starting April 16!* Molly's suggested reading/pre-ordering:...2025-04-0439 min
Rabbit Hole of Research30: Money of the FutureIn this episode, hosts Joe and Nick, along with special guest Amran Gowani, a former chemist turned Wall Street professional turned novelist, delve into the intricacies of finances and economic systems in fiction. The discussion covers definitions of financial systems, the portrayal of wealth and currency in science fiction and fantasy, and the challenges of world-building accurate economic models in storytelling. The conversation also explores the value of skills, commodities, and digital currencies in both dystopian and utopian settings. Highlights include a look at the wealth of famous fictional characters, the impact of economic collapse, and the potential of...2025-03-051h 04
Talk Fiction04 | Mad MagicContent consideration: This episode marks the creator’s decision to slap an E (explicit) stamp on this podcast moving forward. Because talking candidly about writing and salty language go hand in hand, apparently. You’ve been advised.Welcome back to Talk Fiction, the podcast dedicated to entertainment media’s most overlooked underdogs: Fiction writers.In this episode, professional dream chaser, Meg Oolders, matches minds with expert goal getter, Amran Gowani, in a dynamic duo log about the pleasures and perils of writing a huge ass book. From pantsing (or plotting) to publication (or not) a...2024-04-281h 20
Books and BobaApril 2024 Book NewsIt's a Marvin only episode for this month's book news check-in, let's see how it goes as he reviews some of the latest Asian American publishing announcements, as well as some new and potentially exciting adaptation news. Upcoming books mentioned in our publishing news:Adam & Evie’s Matchmaking Tour by Nora NguyenSisters at Sea by Yume KitaseiThis Place Kills Me by Mariko Tamaki; illust by Nicole GouxAlice Chen’s Reality Check by Kara Loo & Jennifer YoungDreamt I Found You by Jimin HanThe Emperor of Gladness by Ocean VuongSublimation by Isabel J. KimThe Serpent Called Mercy by Roan...2024-04-2134 min