Shows
The Fire These TimesPalestine and Global Solidarity - Remastered w/ Sumaya Awad and Shireen Akram-BosharIn this remastered release, Joey Ayoub is joined by Sumaya Awad and Shireen Akram-Boshar. Awad is a co-editor of the book Palestine: A Socialist Introduction, and Akram-Boshar is a contributor to the same book. Originally released on May 20th 2021, this episode has been remastered and re-released. Many of the topics discussed - including the ethnic cleansing of Palestine, the growing solidarity movements around the globe, the Palestinian struggle for liberation - all resonate in today’s context. This episode serves as a reminder that the recent escalation in Palestine has origins well before Oct 7 and that calls to end Is...2023-12-021h 09
Shadow Warrior by Rajeev SrinivasanEp. 79: 75 years: Have Midnight’s Children come of age?A version of this essay was published by firstpost at https://www.firstpost.com/india/75-years-have-midnights-children-come-of-age-11093221.htmlIt is a bit of a coincidence that, just around the 75th anniversary of India gaining political independence from the British, Salman Rushdie should be in the news again, because he was stabbed in Chautauqua, a literary watering-hole in upstate New York. His book Midnight’s Children was, as is well known, a sensation when it first came out some forty years ago, in 1981.The central conceit in the book is that 100,000 children born all over India on or...2022-08-2612 min
BACHPAN KE PITARE SEA UNIQUE TRAVELOGUEA unique lovestory written by Ms. Arundhati. The story of a girk who was in love with nature. ##bachpankepitarese✨ #बचपनकेपिटारेसे💫 #हिंदीपाॅडकास्ट #englishpodcast #bilingualpodcast #love #valentine #lovefornature #poems #loveperspective #podcasts #interestingstories #story #learningsforlife #hindipodcast #storytelling #childhoodmemories #podcastersofinstagram
#podcastorsoffacebook #anchorfm #anchorfmpodcast #Spotify #Applepodcasts #Googlepodcasts2022-02-2110 min
Chatting LitBONUS EPISODE- 2021 Reading Wrap-upIn this episode I look back on my favourite reads of 2021, with listeners/friends contributing theirs too! This was recorded in one take, unedited, so here it is, warts and all!Shout-outs go to my dear friend Andreas of the band Saint and the Sinners (@saintandthesinners), as well as all the book podcasts I listen to:How's The Water? (@howsthewaterpodcast)The Wee Scottish Book Club hosted by @scott.you.reading and @scottiesandbooksBooks of Some Substance (@booksosubstance)Canonical (canonicalpodcast)Beyond the Zero (@beyondthezeropod)Concavity Show (@concavityshow)Mid Lit Podcast...2022-01-0257 min
Fursat Feminism: A conversation podcastGhoom Barabar GhoomCan loitering go beyond being just an act? Can it be a way of life?Our 'aawara aurat' Isha joins us in this episode to crack open a theme that we've all lived and experienced in more ways than one. She speaks about how she has come to the act of loitering, and how deeply it now sits in her bones and her spirit. We unpack the many ways in which we have loitered - physically, mentally, virtually - and how it is a heady cocktail only when the right elements come together...2021-12-1041 min
Fursat Feminism: A conversation podcastHair me outWhat is with 'men's' and 'women's' haircuts being priced differently? What's gender got to do with it?Shraddha brings the incisive questions and the unabashed laughs to this deep dive into our relationships with hair. They help us dig through memory files to pull out the times when our hair was hopelessly entangled with identity, gender, caste, policing and shame - and yet became a tool of coping and subversion. We talk cultural appropriation, share horror stories from salons to schools, and land on some important epiphanies. 2021-11-1254 min
Fursat Feminism: A conversation podcastHome AloneIn a world so set on isolating us, why is it that we still seek to live alone?Tasaffy joins us on this breezy episode to chat about the inexplicable joys of the decision to live alone, and the complicated feelings that surround it. We etch around emptiness, loneliness, and aloneness, swapping stories from Gujarat to Dhaka of renting homes, running them, and every self-appointed guardian along the way. How have we tried to define the terms of our aloneness? How have we had to change them? How have the structures around us sought to make this...2021-10-2945 min
Fursat Feminism: A conversation podcastBadal Pe Paon HainIn a world of prescribed lines and restricted zones what does it mean for women to bend the rules and leave their mark in spaces- virtual, real and intellectual? In our second Gujarati episode, our dear friend Sonal (or Sonbai as we like to call her) joins us to share her own journey of breaking free and claiming her life. Stepping out of locked doors, securing the 'unconventional' job, having a cup of tea at the tapri, exploring the town on a bike, wearing goggles or sitting on the terrace for hours on end. Claiming s...2021-10-1552 min
Fursat Feminism: A conversation podcastCholi Ke PeecheHow have we, as a species, managed to find life on other planets and yet not cracked the secret to well-fitting bras?Aashika dons a triple cap this episode - that of lingerie designer, historian and feminist - to join us for a fun, candid, complete no-holds-barred discussion on boobs, 'intimates' and fashion. Why were all of our first bra experiences so cringey? Why do we still use a two-dimensional measuring system for a three-dimensional gland? How deeply does history inform our lingerie and fashion choices? Between the male gaze and a 52-week-fashion cycle, we t...2021-10-011h 05
Fursat Feminism: A conversation podcastMamma Mia!Is being a supermom a compliment or just an indictment of structures that have let us down?Charvi - a dear friend and doting mother - sheds her therapist hat to joins us this week on an honest, vulnerable episode about motherhood - how it's shaped us, and how we are trying to shape it. Whether we have chosen or not to have children, we realise there are similar threads of guilt, de-pedestaling and reclamation that frame all of our journeys with the idea of motherhood. We try to disentangle the places where motherhood, womanhood...2021-09-2456 min
Fursat Feminism: A conversation podcastNaam Nisrin'Sometimes I think I am not Muslim enough for my family, and not Indian enough for this country'Nisrin brings vulnerability and a quiet power to this overdue conversation as she takes us through how she has navigated her identity as a Muslim woman in a world constantly seeking to remind her that she doesn't belong. From being an 11-year-old during the Godhra riots, to being a 16-year-old exchange student in post-9/11 America, to the trappings of corporate workspaces in Gujarat - she breaks down, with heartbreaking candor, what it feels like to...2021-09-201h 00
Fursat Feminism: A conversation podcastWhy so angry?Why are feminists always so angry?With the incredible Evanne in our corner this week, we shake off our midseason break with an episode and a topic we have all been dying to talking about: anger. In the muddled, interchangeable societally endowed labels of passion, aggression, violence, and rage, we start to locate our histories with anger, and how we have come to a place of acceptance and reclamation when it comes to the 'angry woman' tag. We speak about what safe, caring, collective spaces of anger feel like, how completely ridiculous it is to e...2021-09-1040 min
Fursat Feminism: A conversation podcastRishtey Mein Hum Tumhare Podcast Lagte Hain - 2What have your favourite episodes been?How do I start my own podcast?Following an intense mapping of our podcasting journey in part one, the second part of the mid-season episode tackles a super fun rapid fire sent in by one of the listeners. We spar, we pick favourites (but not really), and we bask in the reflected awesomeness of our guests. We also pick our most memorable moments across this journey, somewhere finding a beat to reflect on why podcasting felt like such an out-of-body experience to begin with. We also tell you about...2021-08-2045 min
Fursat Feminism: A conversation podcastRishtey Mein Hum Tumhare Podcast Lagte Hain - 1Is Fursat Feminism a full-time job? How has it impacted our feminism and our friendship?We are officially halfway through the first season! And it feels as good a time as any to be taking stock of the wild, unexpected, and joyful journey this podcast has been. In our first hosts-only episode since the intro, we reflect on how little we knew when we were recording that first episode, and what a whirlwind we have been riding ever since. In answering some of your incredibly well thought-through questions, we gush about each other and the community we...2021-08-2049 min
Fursat Feminism: A conversation podcastA Room of One's OwnWhat is so revolutionary about having a room of one's own?"A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction." We ride Virginia Woolfe's words from 1929 through an episode about building spaces of our own, of occupying, of learning, of joy, of creativity, of being free and of becoming persons of our choice in rooms of our own. Amrisha joins us to share the literal and metaphorical manifestations of shaping and stealing spaces of her own, even as we all explore how the w...2021-07-3036 min
Fursat Feminism: A conversation podcastHumare Neta Kaise Ho?Does leading a feminist space make you a feminist boss? And vice versa?We have all come a long way in becoming feminists and our workspaces have played a crucial role in this evolution. In this episode, Anamika joins us with her candor and dry wit as we deep dive into the world of feminist and women led NGOs, reflecting on the experience of leading and being led by people we admire. We speak about the expectations of martyrdom that accompany so many jobs in this sector, and the cult of the leader that often obfuscates the...2021-07-2356 min
Fursat Feminism: A conversation podcastLights, Camera, Action!Would a camera in any other hand be just as powerful?In our first Gujarati episode of the podcast, our friend and former colleague Kailash joins us to share her incredible story of getting to be a filmmaker, story teller and narrative weaver against the worst odds. It is filled with delightful anecdotes of navigating new worlds, etching an identity in a society that refuses to see you, and reclaiming space. Within it is etched the lovely story of how she and Arundhati became friends, and how they - together with Deepa - tried to recreate some...2021-07-1640 min
Fursat Feminism: A conversation podcastFilminismDoes our feminism get in the way of enjoying Bollywood?Sneha leads us on a filmy romp of an episode, traversing nostalgia, relationships, celebrity encounters and why Bollywood is such a cornerstone in each of our lives. We examine why this love became reluctant for a while, why performative feminism often comes in the way of experiencing pleasure in all its messiness, and the classist undertones in gatekeeping taste. Its an episode chock full of laughter, anecdotes, filmy film recommendations, and acceptance. Write to us about the films that you were too afraid to admit to loving...2021-06-2556 min
Fursat Feminism: A conversation podcastSpecial Episode: Harshali's StoryHarshali, a first generation learner, has secured admission to do an MSc in Election, Campaign and Democracy from Royal Holloway at the University of London. She is now raising funds to be able to support her fees and living expenses. This is her story.Link to her fundraiser: https://milaap.org/fundraisers/support-harshali-3Details from her fundraiser: As a first generation learner and a member of the downtrodden section of the indian society, me and my family have faced multitudes of socio-economic and cultural discriminations.I recognise that this opportunity will n...2021-06-1924 min
The Bookcast Club#49 Reading More Asian AuthorsSend us a Text Message.In this episode, Sarah K welcomes back Christine, a previous fabulous guest on the podcast. They discuss their journey this year in trying to read more Asian authors, the idea of diversity in publishing, why they care about reading widely, and have some fabulous book recommendations for you! The episode transcript should be accessible from within your podcasting app - or check out the transcript here. Follow Christine on Instagram and check out her website on storytelling, StoryCraft. You can also listen to our previous episode with Christine. 2021-06-1855 minThe Bookcast Club#49 Reading More Asian AuthorsSend us a Text Message.In this episode, Sarah K welcomes back Christine, a previous fabulous guest on the podcast. They discuss their journey this year in trying to read more Asian authors, the idea of diversity in publishing, why they care about reading widely, and have some fabulous book recommendations for you! The episode transcript should be accessible from within your podcasting app - or check out the transcript here. Follow Christine on Instagram and check out her website on storytelling, StoryCraft. You can also listen to our previous episode with Christine. 2021-06-1855 min
Fursat Feminism: A conversation podcastKuch Kuch Hota HaiIs anxiety individual or structural? And what's gender got to do with it?In this episode, we bond with Vihaan over feelings of uneasiness and irritability, overthinking and dysphoria, and deep dive into our journeys with anxiety. We dissect a word that often gets used casually, and how big a part of our lives are entirely consumed in recognizing it, fighting it, and living with it. We zoom out to mental health as a whole, coming to terms with 'needing help', and relive the tragi-comedies that are the search for a therapist who i...2021-06-1839 min
Fursat Feminism: A conversation podcastMusafir Hoon YaaronWith our mobility itself being so fraught with fear, why is travelling alone as women so exhilarating?We're joined by Kavya this week in a happy little time capsule to when travel was something we were imbibing, negotiating, and claiming. We speak about how feminist upbringing set us on a path of seeking everything travel offered: the trepidation, the novelty, the quiet revolution. As solo journeys shed baggage but solidified fear, we also speak about how travel has acted as an unexpected intergenerational glue and brought us closer to the women in our lives. 2021-06-1150 min
Fursat Feminism: A conversation podcastBenakaabTW: Sexual and emotional abuseIn the light of the Tarun Tejpal acquittal and it's deeply triggering wording, Neha joins us to share her story of repeated abuse that sits at odds with the framing of the 'the perfect victim', of how we must look, feel and act during and around abuse. We trace around our own stories of internalising shame and how they affected our ability to believe ourselves and others, the inability to relate to the word 'victim', and the many reasons why calling out is the last resort...2021-06-041h 14
Fursat Feminism: A conversation podcastShaadi Ke Side-EffectsWith Kaveri in our corner this week, we finally gave in and scratched the hitch itch. What were our first encounters with the institution of marriage? How have we navigated it? Can marriages be feminist? Why are marriages generally so difficult to talk about? From three completely different vantage points, there were some disagreements, many agreements, and a tonne of heavy sighing. Listen in and tell us about all the stuff we definitely forgot to talk about!People who want to come join us on the podcast, please listen intently all the way to the end :) You ca...2021-05-2859 min
The Fire These TimesSpecial Episode: Palestine and Global SolidarityThis is a special episode with Sumaya Awad and Shireen Akram-Boshar. Sumaya's the co-editor of the book "Palestine: A Socialist Introduction" which Shireen contributed to.
Get early access + more perks at Patreon.com/firethesetimes
Blog: https://thefirethisti.me
You can follow on Twitter or Instagram @ firethesetimes too.
Topics Discussed:
Our relationship to Palestine
What triggered the recent brutalities and broader context
Connecting protests in Israel-Palestine with protests in the US (Black Lives Matter especially) and globally (Arab Spring, Syrian revolution etc)
Israel's ethnic cleansing projects
The youth-led resistance
Shifting narratives...2021-05-211h 18
Fursat Feminism: A conversation podcastBadan Pe Sitaare Lapete HueRecorded before the building avalanche of grief broke down around us, Bhavana joins us on this episode to talk about all of our entry points into shame, (contested) femininity and - eventually - feminism: our bodies. As the vessels that have carried us, to the objects of our own ridicule and dissection, to aspirational symbols of the 'normal' and 'able', to also the holders of joy and validation - our bodies have been witnesses to, and collateral damage from, every part of our lives, the narratives that surround us, and our own privilege. We talk...2021-05-2041 min
Fursat Feminism: A conversation podcastParwaahSwati joins us on our most vulnerable conversation yet, where we finally address the pandemic-sized elephant in the room. In a time of dealing with grief, isolation, and abject failure of the state, the episode centers itself on care: the giving of it, the accepting of it, and the messy, confusing in-betweens. We confront parental mortality, break down, and build ourselves up again with a conversation that itself starts to resembles care. The episode, and its candor, scratches away at our own discomfort with the word and all its loaded meanings, along the way - as ever - stumbling...2021-05-1454 min
Fursat Feminism: A conversation podcastNa Ghar Ke Na Ghaat KeDedicated researcher and a dear friend Manavi joined us in this episode and took us on an excavation of our sense of belongingness. From the cities that we have belonged to, to the perpetual anxiety of not being the 'insider', to questioning 'blood relationships' and how language orders belongingness, to institutionalized collectives, the three of us meandered through a conversation that felt both familiar and completely not. Give us a listen and share with us your stories of belonging and un-belonging on fursatfeminism@gmail.com"पनाह मिल जाए रूह को जिसका हाथ छूकर, उसकी हथेली पर घर बना लो!" शहरों की बुनियाद पर इंसानों के जोड़ बना विचारों के छत डाल कई आशियाने बनाए हैं हमने और उन्हीं आशियानों की यादें टटोलने हमारे साथ मानवी इस धारावाहिक में जुड़ी हैं। हमने अपनेपन के कई सारे पहलुओं को खुरच कर अपनी जिंदगी की परतें खोली हैं। तो आइए सैर कर आएं कुछ पुराने शहरों में, अकेली गलियों में, याराना रातों में और खुद को समेट आएं ।Note: This episode was recorded before the second wave of COVID-19 hit India. We continue to publish these episodes in the hope that someone might find a moment of distraction or respite in them.2021-04-3042 min
Fursat Feminism: A conversation podcastMaana Ke Hum Yaar NahinIn the ongoing whirlwind of loss and pain, this week we had a healing, comforting and joyful conversation with Sravanthi about - *wait for it* - break-ups! Right from The Big Break-up, to friend break-ups to the ones that could've been, we traverse the whole landscape to land on the truth that is truly of the times: that grief must be processed, and healing is not linear. And also that we need to put the cool girl trope to rest for our own sakes. That heartbreaks and loss were our portal of choice for escaping the bleak re...2021-04-231h 04
Fursat Feminism: A conversation podcastKhullam Khulla Pyaarरूमानियत की खुशबू लपेट इस धारावाहिक में रोशनी हमारे साथ इश्क के कई पहलुओं को सहलाती हुईं कई सारी यादें ताज़ा कर गई! रोमांस की परतें खोलते-खोलते अपनी छोटी सी हसीन दुनिया बुनी है तो आइए उस दुनिया की सैर करा लाएँ आपको।। अपनी रूमानियत वाले पहलुओं को हमारे साथ भी साझा करें fursatfeminism@gmail.com पर। Our dearest friend, colleague, co-dreamer Roshni joins us for our first episode in Hindi, as we romance the idea of romance. With so much bleakness in the world, this is a happy little permission to love hard and romance harder, as we pepper the space with our little stories of love with partners, friends, strangers, inanimate things and most of all ourselves. You can write to us at fursatfemnism@gmail.com, where all mail is gleefully received :)2021-04-1654 min
Fursat Feminism: A conversation podcastMessy, Messy, Sexy[Trigger warning: This episode contains references to abuse]Sumedha joins us on our most intimate episode yet, as we slowly, tentatively chip away at our histories and relationships with sex. From trying to define it, to acknowledging how it has defined us - the journey has been rocky, lonely and dissonant, but the wins have been doubly sweet. From information, to conversations, to hotel rooms - we discuss how much remains obfuscated and difficult to access when it comes to sex, and land on how truly liberating broken silences and safe spaces can be for the pleasure...2021-04-091h 12
Fursat Feminism: A conversation podcastRasode Mein Kaun Tha?With Prerna, our guest this week, we sort through the many many layers of feelings and discomforts we associate with the kitchen. A site of exclusion and bonding, of the weight of expectations and the lightness of joy, the place we have all rejected and embraced at the same time. The conversation meanders through our childhoods, makes pit-stops at friendships, romance, and making home - and leaves us all a little more comfortable with the contradictions inherent to finding joy in cooking.मुट्ठी भर यादों में, एक चम्मच नरिवाद का डाल, चुटकी भर झल्लाहट, प्यार की चाशनी में डूबो कर चटपटी कहानियाँ परोस रहें हैं इस धारावाहिक में! हमारे साथ चटकारे लगा कर सुनिए इन कहानियों को और हमें भी बताइए अपनी चटपटी, बासी, ताजा यादगार कहानियाँ। You can write to us at fursatfeminism@gmail.com, or get in touch via instagram @fursatfeminism. Arundhati's Instagram handle is @patakha_guddiii and Deepa's is @rebel_with_nocause. Prerna can be reached at @prernaayo. Our producer is N Manoj.2021-04-0245 min
Fursat Feminism: A conversation podcastDosti Pyaar HaiWith our first guest, Suveera Venkatesh, at her reflective best, we deep dive into female friendships in the latest podcast. From cliques in school, to class silos, to the greatest love affairs of our lives - we explore what it has meant for us to seek and to offer friendship, along the way stumbling on some exhilarating and uncomfortable truths.तेरे जैसा यार कहाँ ? कहाँ ऐसा याराना? - ये बड़े ही उलझाने वाला प्रश्न है जिसे सुलझाने हमारे साथ सुवीरा वेंकटेश आयी हैं, इस धारावाहिक में| चलते चलते यूँही जो तार जुड़ गए और जिन रिश्तों को जोड़ने मे दिलों-जान लगा दिए उन सभी की कई कहानियाँ हमने साझा की और सुनी। दोस्ती के बदलते पहलू और मायनों के समंदर में गोते लगाती तीन सहेलियाँ टेढ़े मेढ़े याराना रास्तों से गुजर रहीं हैं और उसमें अपनी यारी-दोस्ती सुलझा रही हैं| सुनिए और हमे बताइए आपकी हसीन, रंगीन, बेहतरीन, इश्क़िया यारियों की कहानियाँ।You can write to us at fursatfeminism@gmail.com, or get in touch via instagram @fursatfeminism. Arundhati's Instagram handle is @patakha_guddiii and Deepa's is @rebel_with_nocause. Suveera can be reached at @suveera11. Our producer is N Manoj.2021-03-2642 min
Fursat Feminism: A conversation podcastIntroduction: Hum Aapke Hain Kaun?In an episode that sets the tone for the rest of the series, we talk about our own tumultuous, embarrassing, privileged journeys to and with feminism, how we met each other, and how we created amongst ourselves a space that inspired the podcast. We also get into the sticky details of what the podcast itself is going to be about, who is likely to be on it, what we are wary of, and generally convey the giddy excitement our stomachs are churning out every step of the way.हम मिले, हमारे दिल मिले, खूब सारी बातें हुईं और इस पॉडकास्ट की शुरुआत हुई| पहले धारावाहिक (एपिसोड) में हमने सोचा शुरुआत करते हैं अपनी कहानियों से; थोड़ा अपना परिचय, थोड़ा फ़ुरसत फेमिनिज़म का परिचय दिया जाए ; क्या, क्यूँ, कहाँ, कब जैसे सवालों से जूझा जाए | खुद पर लगातार प्रश्न करने वाली दो महिलाएं खुद से इश्क करना सीख रही हैं, खुद के अधिकार और विशेषाधिकार पर प्रश्न उठा रही हैं और अपनी कहानियाँ सबके साथ साझा कर रही हैं इस आशा के साथ कि इस पॉडकास्ट के ज़रिए हम -अपने जैसी, अपने से अलग - और कई महिलाओं से जुड़ पाएंगे और शायद कभी उनकी कहानियों को भी यहाँ तक ला पाएंगे... तो फ़ुरसत से हमे सुनिए और अगर आपकी भी कोई फेमिनिस्ट कहानी है तो हमे बताइए| आप fursatfeminism@gmail.com पर अपने खट्टे मीठे विचार और कहानियाँ हमे लिख सकते हैं या बस यूँही हमे याद कर सकते हैं|You can write to us at fursatfeminism@gmail.com, or get in touch via instagram @fursatfeminism. Arundhati's Instagram handle is @patakha_guddiii and Deepa's is @rebel_with_nocause. Our producer is N Manoj.2021-03-1941 min
Fursat Feminism: A conversation podcastFursat Feminism (Trailer)Arundhati and Deepa - two feminists, friends, partners-in-crime - bring you a podcast full of stories and conversations that make sense of the everyday through a fun, fierce, feminist gaze. This is a bite-sized teaser of what's to come every Friday...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fursatfeminism/Email: fursatfeminism@gmail.com2021-03-1201 min
Not Your Average AuntiesEp.2: Weaving Our Migration Stories: Loss, Resilience & ReclamationThe Wendat, Haudenosaunee, Anishnaabe peoples in Tkaronto (Toronto) have been dispossessed of their rights, and continue to be subjected to colonization and genocide. In this context, Farheen and Mohini discover each other’s stories of migration to England and eventually to Canada, from Pakistan and India. They explore their relationship to language, share experiences of racism and reflect on reconnection to self and community. Stay tuned for a future episode about settler colonialism.
Deepest gratitude to:
Our parents, who with great courage, strength and persistence did the best that they could in moving across continents and oceans - more than on...2020-11-0458 min