Rochelle's Verandah

The D'Costa Family at Carpe Diem Art Gallery, Goa [in conversation with Ashok Hegde]

Carpe Diem Art Gallery [https://www.carpediemgoa.com/about-us], Learning Centre and Cafe, Majorda Goa presented for the entire month of March sessions on Women as Storytellers, Makers & Leaders. I was honored to be in an intriguing conversation with Ashok Hegde on the 28th March evening to talk about my novel The D'Costa Family [https://www.amazon.in/DCosta-Family-Novel-Rochelle-Potkar/dp/B0F8C6G69H/]. Very grateful to the inspiring vision of Director Daegal Godinho, Sonia Fernandes, Nicolem and Team for planning, curating, organizing and hosting these sessions so smoothly. Even the four pet dogs barked when the session went overboard. The level of timekeeping was excellent by the pets! Copies of The D'Costa Family and The Fabric Goddesses are available at Carpe Diem - Go grab a copy!

Emotionally Engaging Stories: A Creative Writing talk to Journalists & Media Professionals

I was invited by Professor Subhash Dhuliya for an online talk on Creative Writing and creating emotionally engaging stories to a cohort of media professionals and journalists (and journalism students). As I reflected over the bridges between the two forms of writing, here is a gist of the whole presentation. I also harked back to references from my latest novel The D'Costa Family [https://www.amazon.in/DCosta-Family-Novel-Rochelle-Potkar/dp/B0F8C6G69H/] and upcoming novel The Fabric Goddesses.

Book launch: The D'Costa Family, Dogears Bookshop, Goa

What an engaging evening it was thanks to Leonard and Queenie Fernandes & team; Heta Pandit who was in conversation with the author (Rochelle Potkar), and a lively and attentive audience. The Dogears Bookshop, Margao, Goa - Independent bookshop in Goa, India with a wide selection including books from and about Goa and India. They deliver worldwide. You will find signed copies of The D'Costa Family here. Heta Pandit is an author, activist and independent researcher on Goan History, Art, Culture, architecture, and Goan homes. Rochelle Potkar is a prize-winning poet, author, and screenwriter based partly in Mumbai, partly in Goa. About the book - The D'Costa Family - Set in Burgundy House, the D’Costa ancestral home, we are ushered into a world where matriarchs like Rita D'Costa cling to jewels, sons stake their claims, and daughters their dreams. Wickedly funny and lyrical, Rochelle’s prose glimmers even in its darkest turns where graveyards come alive, curry pots stir secrets, and nightmares are never kept — they’re returned with interest. From Bombay to Callian (Kalyan), Calcutta to Goa, the story snakes through inheritance, real estate, faith, and betrayal, giving us characters as unforgettable as their one-liners. You can read a review of the book by Heta Pandit in The Saligão Balcão, Edition 39. Subscribe to her monthly newsletter, here [https://www.hetapandit.com/contact]. You can also read a review of the book by Maulee Senapati in The Joao-Roque Literary Journal here [https://www.joaoroqueliteraryjournal.com/review-events-new/tag/The+D%27Costa+Family].

Mumbai's Topography: panel discussion at The Neighbourhood Festival 2025

Mumbai's Topography: panel discussion was part of The Neighbourhood Festival 2025 curated by 3 Art House and Fictionary, held at Fictionary Bookstore. On the panel were Naresh Fernandes and Rochelle Potkar, moderated by Ekta Bhandari, Co-founder of Read-a-Kitaab. Brief bios - 3 Art House provides accessible space and quality exposure to build art & culture. Fictionary - India's first fiction bookstore cafe, Bandra. Read-a-Kitaab - An unbiased community of Readers, Booklovers, writers and artists. We strive to provide the community an ecosystem with an online library. Naresh Fernandes - a Mumbai based journalist and author. He is the editor of Scroll.in, a digital daily. His books include Bombay, Meri Jaan. Rochelle Potkar - prize-winning poet, author, screenwriter. Her latest book is a black comedy nove - The D'Costa Family. These books are available at Fictionary.

Book Launch: The D'Costa Family: In conversation with Smita Sahay

The book launch of The D'Costa Family [https://www.amazon.in/DCosta-Family-Novel-Rochelle-Potkar/dp/B0F8C6G69H/]on 6 August 2025 was beyond expectations with a house full of enthused and engaged audience at Little Theatre, NCPA, Mumbai - and an audience interaction with such positive energy that it made for a memorable evening. This is the recording of the conversation between Rochelle Potkar (author of The D'Costa Family) and Smita Sahay, Editor-in-Chief, Usawa Literary Review [https://usawa.in/]. About the Book - Set in the vibrant Goan-Indian milieu, the book introduces us to the riotous D'Costas - a family as outrageous as they are unforgettable. At the center is matriarch Rita D'Costa, navigating betrayal, secrets, and reconciliation with wicked humour and unflinching honesty. With Potkar's signature blend of lyricism and wit, the narrative explores themes of family dysfunction, cultural legacy, and feminine agency. (The book is available on Amazon and at a few select bookshops.) Usawa Literary Review celebrated its 7th anniversary. Usawa is a bi-annual English language literary magazine dedicated to feminist literature and writings by and about underrepresented communities. We publish poetry, fiction, nonfiction, reviews and interviews that question hierarchies, hegemonies and naturalized biases. This evening started with dramatic readings by Neeta Doshi and Digant Sharma (artists and storytellers) and followed with this conversation. Curated by -  Dr. Sujata Jadhav - Head – Libraries and Documentation Centre, NCPA NCPA’s Page to Stage Literary Initiative is a unique platform by the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), Page to Stage is dedicated to celebrating the written word through performance. It offers authors and poets an opportunity to bring their work to life, transforming literature into engaging staged experiences that connect with diverse audiences.