Who Gets Written Into History: Tarana Husain Khan on The Courtesan, Her Lover and I

Who Gets Written Into History: Tarana Husain Khan on The Courtesan, Her Lover and I

History remembers poets. But what happens to the women history leaves behind? In this episode of The Reading List, we sit down with Tarana Husain Khan to discuss her latest novel, The Courtesan, Her Lover and I, inspired by the real-life story of Urdu poet Dagh Dehlvi and the courtesan, artist, and poet Munni Bai Hijab. We explore how Hijab has been remembered, the silences that still surround her life, the care it takes to reconstruct someone whose story survives only in fragments, and the delicate balance between history and fiction. This is a conversation about love, memory, storytelling, and what it means to write someone back into history.

Joint Families, Partition & the Search for Home: Karan Mahajan on The Complex

Every family has its own history, contradictions, and power dynamics. This week on The Reading List, we're joined by Karan Mahajan to discuss his new novel, The Complex, set against the backdrop of a changing India. Together, we explore the beautiful and messy reality of large Indian families, the lasting legacy of Partition, and the expectations placed on daughters and daughters-in-law. We also discuss the gap between the promise of the American Dream and the reality many migrants experience, and why the idea of home continues to shape us across generations. Whether you've grown up in a joint family or not, this conversation offers a thoughtful look at memory, belonging, and the enduring ties that bind. How much of who we become is shaped by the family we inherit?

Season Break Announcement

BRB. Gone reading ️ The Reading List is taking a short summer break and returns on July 1st. Need a fix until then? Catch up on all 18 episodes of TRL.  See you in July! #TheReadingListByBahrisons #ReadWithBahri #BookPodcast #IndianAuthors IndieBooks

The Birds, Trees, and Secret Life of Delhi: Neha Sinha on Wild Capital

Do you ever stop to notice the birds, trees, and animal life around you? In this episode of The Reading List, Neha Sinha joins us to discuss her new book Wild Capital and the hidden ecological life of Delhi. From childhood memories of growing up in the city to her environmental work across biodiversity parks in Delhi, Neha reflects on what it means to truly pay attention to the natural world around us. We talk about disappearing bird and plant life, urban conservation, and the surprising ways nature continues to survive within one of India’s largest cities. This conversation is an invitation to slow down, observe more closely, and see Delhi differently. WILD CAPITAL is releasing as MY WILD CITY in the US and UK in September 2026.

Breakfast, Identity, and Urban India: Priyadarshini Chatterjee on First Bite

Breakfast is often seen as the simplest meal of the day, but it carries stories of memory, migration, labour, and identity. In this episode of The Reading List, Priyadarshini Chatterjee joins us to discuss her debut book, First Bite, where she travels across ten Indian cities to explore the cultural and historical significance of the morning meal. From street-side staples to deeply local traditions, we talk about how ecology and migration shape what cities eat, how work and daily rhythms influence the first meal, and how breakfast quietly challenges the idea of India as a predominantly vegetarian country.