The episode opens with Unmana talking about what creativity means to them. Unmana shares how they got into writing, their writing routine and how vulnerable they choose to be with their work. We chat about their experience in marketing, their perspective on publicity especially for books today, and their relationship with social media. We also talk about their debut book - from the idea to getting published. Unamana also shares their perspective on gender & sexuality and talks about queer literature. Later, we exchange book recommendations. The episode ends with an excerpt from Unmana’s book narrated by them.

Unmana lives in Mumbai with their husband. Their first novel, Chikkamma Tours (Pvt.) Ltd, is a deliciously bookish mystery set in Bengaluru that features India’s first fictional queer detective. Unmana’s short stories have been nominated for the Best of the Net and the Deodar Prize. You can find them on Instagram @unmana_bombay and X (Twitter) @Unmana

Sangeetha Menon a.k.a. The Moody Marshmallow is a writer, editor and podcaster. She currently handles the rights portfolio at Tulika Publishers, where she finds new avenues for stories to travel. She has worked with organisations like Bound, Karadi Tales, and Carve Magazine to name a few. You can find her on Instagram: @marshmallow.musings and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/menonsangeetha/

Mentions: Ana Mardoll’s Ramblings, The Chronicles Of Narnia, The Hunger Games, Zac O’Yeah, Missy, Raghav Rao, Ashwitha Jayakumar, The Book Of Emperors, ghachar Ghochar, Anjum Hasan, Westland, Pratilipi, Trilogy, Fictionary, Pradeep Sebastian, The Book Hunters Of Katpadi, Agatha Christie, K - J Charles, Cat Sebastian, Courtney Milan, All This Could Be Different, Sarah Thankam Mathews, Premee Mohamed, The Butcher In The Forest, S.B. Divya, Meru, Nilanjana Roy, Black River, Anita Desai, Clear Light Of Day, Rosarita, The Women’s Courtyard, Khadija Mastur, WMFA, Only Murders In The Building

Social Media:

Instagram - @theclosetwriterchronicles

Twitter - @TheMoodyMarsh

Email - theclosetwriterchronicles@gmail.com

Music:

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Produced By White Hot