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On Episode 96 of #LearningStories, I chat with Dr. Punam Medh. Punam is a science educator, passionate about reimagining how teachers learn. Drawing on a Ph.D. in Education she works at the intersection of science education, instructional design and teacher professional development. She is an experienced instructional designer in the eLearning and Education Technology space where she has held key leadership and strategic roles for over two decades. She has experience in creating digital and hybrid learning experiences that connect organizational goals with employee learning needs. A sustained interest in using stories as a powerful medium for making learning more engaging, accessible, and meaningful shapes both her work in instructional design and science education. Show Chapters (00:02) - Podcast Introduction (00:20) - Guest Background (01:25) - Stories from Punam's childhood (02:08) - "I have been a learner forever" (02:20) - Parent's Influence (03:20) - "Stories always helped me as a learner" (03:55) - Stories of Scientists in School Textbooks (06:20) - Teachers that had an impact on my life (09:30) - Why did you study Chemistry at the Undergradute Level? (10:22) - "My mother was a chemist and worked in a chemical factory" (12:20) - Learning about computers and programming languages in college (12:50) - "I started writing code in BASIC" (13:20) - Experience as a corporate trainer (15:20) - Working as an Instructional Designer with the TATA Group (17:40) - "I wanted to bring instructional design to more schools in India" (18:30) - Starting an instructional design organization called iDesign Skills (21:30) - What is instructional design? What do instructional designers do? (25:00) - Pursuing an MA in Elementary Education at TISS (28:30) - How children tell stories? (36:40) - What was your Ph.D. thesis about? (37:00) - "I wanted to understand how to bring stories into science in education" (38:00) - "Science is collaborative and creative" (40:00) - How teachers can use stories in the classroom (41:30) - Main findings from thesis and teacher interactions (44:00) - The story of Lise Meitner (57:00) - Closing Notes Show Links Punam on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/punam-medh-ph-d-328982232/ Punam on Twitter - https://x.com/pmedh/with_replies Punam on Research Gate - https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Punam-Medh-2 iDesign Skills - http://www.idesignskills.com/ Epistoria - https://www.epistoria.in/ Show Description #LearningStories is an audio and video show where we interview a diverse set of learners from the 21st century. Each guest profiled here has a unique story to share about how they acquired a set of valuable skills and knowledge in a creative and innovative manner. Show Description Learning Stories is an audio and video show where we interview a diverse set of learners from the 21st century. Each guest profiled here has a unique story to share about how they acquired a set of valuable skills and knowledge in a creative and innovative manner.

On Episode 95 of #LearningStories, I chat with Samarth Mahajan. He is a Mumbai-based filmmaker, passionate about telling human stories that remain invisible to the mainstream. His work includes two national award-winning documentaries - the 2022 feature "Borderlands" explores lives defined by India's borders, and the 2018 film "The Unreserved" captures stories from general compartments of Indian Railways. Samarth's films have screened across six continents to favorable reviews and received broadcast and theatrical releases in India. His projects have featured in major film markets, including the Marché du Film, the business counterpart of the Cannes Film Festival. Recognized by IIT Kharagpur as a Young Alumni Achiever, Samarth's commercial collaborations include brands like Vice Studios, Applause Entertainment, and Discovery+. He is currently working on his debut fiction short. You can find Samarth on Youtube and IMDB. Show Chapters (00:02) - Podcast Introduction (00:20) - Guest Background (01:50) - What has filmmaking taught you about human beings (02:20) - "Storytelling is about understanding our place in the world" (02:40) - "I really admire resilience shown in difficult situations" (03:00) - What has story telling shown me as a filmmaker? (03:40) - "I also understood how we are all connected" (04:00) - Why create films around universal themes? (06:00) - What stories did you love as a child and teenager? (06:50) - "My father loved eating good food and watching films" (07:00) - My relationship to films and books as a young person (07:30) - "Lagaan made me fall in love with cinema and was magical" (08:20) - "I loved reading encyclopedias and books about space and dinosaurs" (09:30) - "I still do not read a lot of fiction" (09:38) - "Most of my fiction work is around fantasy themes" (10:30) - Who was Samarth till the age of 25? (11:00) - "I spent five years doing a B.Tech/M.Tech at IIT Kharagpur" (11:30) - "Two years studying for JEE in Chandigarh was quite difficult" (11:40) - "I come from Dinanagar in Gurdaspur District in Punjab" (12:15) - "My childhood was quite sheltered and in a small town" (13:00) - "I thought I will clear JEE and my life will be set" (13:10) - Experience as a student for 5 years at IIT Kharagpur (15:00) - How stories can shape your thinking as a young person in India? (17:00) - How engineering shaped your approach to filmmaking? (18:00) - "All filmmakers are very unique in their approach" (21:00) - Experience watching films at MAMI Film Festival in Mumbai (25:15) - Experience studying Liberal Arts for 2 years at Ashoka University(29:50) - Building strong relationships with editors and cinematographers (30:00) - Meeting Ashay Gangwar, Producer and CEO of Camera and Shorts (32:00) - Meeting Anadi Athaley, Editor of 'Borderlands' and 'The Unreserved' (33:00) - "We had nine hours of footage for a ten minute film" (34:40) - Meeting Omkar Divekar, Cinematographer of 'Borderlands' (36:00) - How much raw footage do you capture for your films? (38:00) - What are your memories and experiences of traveling on trains in India? (46:00) - What are your memories and experiences of living in a border town in India? (54:00) - Working on my first fiction feature film (55:30) - Documentary Film Recommendation (56:30) - Fiction Feature Film Recommendation (57:30) - TV Show Recommendation (58:00) - Food Recommendation (59:30) - Closing Notes Show Links Samarth's Website - https://samarthmahajan.in/bio 'Borderlands' (2022) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KKDkFo1IQ8&t=1s 'The Unreserved' (2018) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWvoCicq9eo&t=1s 'Kazwa' (2015) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hnX97HV7uc Show Description #LearningStories is an audio and video show where we interview a diverse set of #learners from the 21st century. Each guest profiled here has a unique story to share about how they acquired a set of valuable #skills and #knowledge in a creative and innovative manner.

On Episode 94 of #LearningStories, I chat with Ajay Kamalakaran. He is an independent journalist and writer with a special interest in Russia and the Soviet Union. He has lived in Russia and the US and is now based in Mumbai. Ajay is the author of four books including: 'Globetrotting for Love and Other Stories from Sakhalin Island' (2017), 'A Week in the Life of Svitlana' (2019), 'Colombo: Port of Call' (2026). His articles regularly appear on Russia Beyond, Manorama Online, Scroll and other publications. You can find Ajay on Goodreads. Show Chapters (00:02) - Podcast Introduction (00:20) - Guest Background (02:50) - Stories from your Childhood (03:40) - "I was born here in Bombay" (03:50) - "When I was quite young we moved to the US" (05:00) - My love for basketball and the New York Yankees (08:20) - What did you study at university? (09:40) - "I first wanted to be a lawyer" (10:00) - "You could chose between Science, Arts and Commerce in India" (10:50) - "I always enjoyed writing as a student" (11:30) - "I was told writing is a hobby and not a profession (11:40) - "I studied banking and finances for my masters" (12:10) - "I did not want to live my father's dream" (12:30) - "I wanted t interact with people from different parts of the world" (13:00) - "I decided to take the plunge and do journalism full time" (13:40) - How did you acquire the skills and knowledge to become a journalist/writer? (15:20) - Why did you want to move away from big cities? (15:30) - What motivated you to learn Russia and move to the Russian Far East? (16:00) - "There was an oil boom in Sakhalin Island and lots of expat families moved there" (16:50) - "I started working for an English language newspaper (17:30) - "I was also freelancing for the wire services" (17:50) - "I edited that English newspaper in Sakhalin Island for four years" (18:40) - "In America, I was the Indian Kid. In India, I was the American Kid" (19:40) - The cultural, social and political history of Sakhalin Island (28:00) - What was your experience as a journalist and editor in Sakhalin Island for 4 years? (32:00) - "There would be months where the only space I spoke English was at work" (33:40) - Why did you chose to write fiction to talk about your experience in Sakhalin Island? (35:00) - The experience of working on a translation of my book into Russian (37:20) - What was your experience working on your second work of fiction? (43:15) - The challenges of writing fiction (44:15) - Why writing is always a work in progress? (46:00) - "Colombo is a home away from home for me" (47:20) - Why did you want to write a book about Colombo (48:30) - "I started reading about famous people that lived and travelled to Colombo" (50:40) - What is the timeline you explore in your book about Colombo? (54:00) - Exploring the golden era of steamships and ocean travel in this book (57:00) - The elements of Malayali culture in Colombo (58:10) - The idea of slow travel(58:30) - "It is about being where you are completely" (59:40) - "I believe I am a traveller and rarely a tourist anywhere (1:00:15) - Book and Film Recommendations (1:03:30) - Closing Notes Show Links Ajay's Author Website - https://www.ajaykamalakaran.com/ Book Recommendation 1 - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54906247-the-amur-river?ref=nav_sb_ss_5_13 Book Recommendation 2 - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52319117-upon-a-sleepless-isle?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_19 Film Recommendation - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071411/ Show Description#LearningStories is an audio and video show where we interview a diverse set of #learners from the 21st century. Each guest profiled here has a unique story to share about how they acquired a set of valuable #skills and #knowledge in a creative and innovative manner.

On Episode 93 of #LearningStories, I chat with Varun Gwalani. He is an author and teacher. He is a 7 time published author whose books span a variety of genres and stories. He has been teaching English and Creative Writing for nearly a decade now. He mentors young authors. He is a mental health advocate who has a TEDx talk on OCD. Finally he runs interactive murder mystery games that have been popular across the country. In this conversation we chat about his creative process and his advice for budding young authors in India. You can find Varun on Goodreads, Amazon and Instagram. Show Chapters (00:02) - Podcast Introduction (00:20) - Guest Background (02:10) - "I was the one always reading a book" (02:20) - "There was a sense of loneliness growing up" (02:40) - "Writing became an outlet for my emotions" (02:50) - When was the first time your writing was recognized? (03:40) - How did you develop the habit of reading as a student? (05:00) - What was your experience studying English Literature at university? (05:15) - On choosing to study the arts (05:45) - Why I found literature fascinating? (06:20) - "I like understanding how the human mind works" (07:10) - "We are one story in the book of humanity and we are all of it" (07:15) - "We are all different but we are all also connected" (09:00) - What was your experience publishing your first book in India? (10:20) - Why writers need to be critical about their work? (10:40) - "So much of writing is about rewriting your work" (12:00) - How do you decide what story idea to convert into a novel? (13:50) - The story behind my second novel (16:00) - "You should write what is meaningful to you and what matters to you" (17:00) - What is your relationship to the characters in your stories? (18:40) - "If I am not emotionally invested in my character than my readers won't be" (19:20) - "Writing needs to interest me" (19:40) - How writers create stories as architects and gardeners? (20:10) - My creative process as a writer (21:00) - The skills of a writer (21:10) - "I taught in a school for 2 years" (21:30) - Writing a story for teenagers and young adults (22:17) - Writing a story set during the pandemic (23:45) - How do your personal biases and experiences come into your stories? (26:00) - "Writers must listen non jugdementally and approach stories with sensitivity" (26:40) - Writing a story set inside a cult (28:00) - The role of sensitivity reader and beta readers (28:30) - Writing about difficult and challenging topics (29:40) - The role and responsibility of the reader (30:22) - Are the author's opinions the same as the character's opinions? (31:22) - How author's market their books today in India? (32:32) - Responding to reader feedback as an author (33:52) - The reality of being an author of English fiction in India (34:00) - Why people are reading more? (35:10) - The challenges of marketing and selling your book in India (36:00) - Can artists find a balance between business and creativity? (37:20) - The process of creating murder mystery games for general audiences (40:00) - What was your experience teaching English and Creative Writing? (42:40) - How does a writer read? Who are your favourite writers? (46:40) - Closing Notes and Connecting with Varun Show Links Varun on Linktree - https://linktr.ee/varung Varun on Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7307603.Varun_Gwalani Varun on Amazon - https://www.amazon.in/stores/Varun-Gwalani/author/ Varun on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/authorvarungwalani/ Show Description #LearningStories is an audio and video show where we interview a diverse set of #learners from the 21st century. Each guest profiled here has a unique story to share about how they acquired a set of valuable #skills and #knowledge in a creative and innovative manner.

On Episode 92 of the #LearningStories podcast I chat with Purvi Vora. She has a P.hD. in Science Education from Teachers College at Columbia University. She has worked in the education sector for close to a two decades. She started her career teaching science and media literacy in an inner city school in Manhattan. She moved to India in 2007 and joined the Akanksha Foundation as a school leader for charter school in Mumbai. She later worked at the American School of Bombay as the Community and Social Responsibility coordinator supporting K-12 teachers at the school in implementing service projects. She also taught science in 7th grade at the school. With her business partner, Sangita Kapadia, Purvi setup Reniscience Education LLP a coutique education consulting firm and think tank born out of a desire to promote learning that is empowering, joyful and relevant to the 21st century learner. You can find Purvi on Linkedin and learn about their work and impact at reniscienceeducation.com. Show Chapters (00:05) - Podcast Introduction (00:40) - Guest Background (02:50) - Stories from your childhood (03:00) - "I'm a Mumbai girl" (03:10) - "I went to girls school in Prabhadevi" (03:30) - "There were 60 students in each class" (03:40) - "School was all about friends and not learning (04:00) - Memories of my teachers (05:10) - Getting into trouble at school (06:10) - Learning and exposure at home (06:30) - "I grew up in a very open minded home" (06:45) - "I had lots of friends and lived in a large society (08:00) - Love for reading and books (08:50) - What kinds of free play do you remember engaging with as a student? (11:00) - Experience in high school and college (12:40) - What were the first books you loved reading as a young person? (16:40) - Helping my son become a reader as a parent in Mumbai (19:00) - Learning in high school (19:30) - "I loved geography and did not like commerce (20:00) - "I studied Science in Grade 11 and 12" (20:10) - What subject did you study in university as an undergraduate student and why? (21:10) - "I always wanted to teach and decided to go abroad for studies" (21:30) - What subject did you study in university as a graduate student and why? (22:00) - Why did you decide to pursue a P.hD. in Science Education? (22:40) - "Biology is my favourite science and Evolution is my favourite topic" (24:00) - The two best classes I ever took were... (25:00) - Experience studying microbiology at Rutgers University for 3 years? (26:00) - What was the topic of your microbiology master's thesis?(27:00) - What was your experience pursuing a P.hD. in Education for 5 years? (32:00) - What was your experience teaching in classrooms in New York? (34:00) - What were the findings of your P.hD. thesis? (40:00) - Experience as a school leader at a charter school in Mumbai for 4 years (45:00) - Learning from other teachers and school leaders (46:00) - Tapping into the funds of knowledge in the community (51:00) - The mistakes I made as a school leader (51:50) - What was your experience working at a private school in Mumbai? (1:01:00) - Why did you decide to start an education consulting firm? (1:02:40) - Our first clients and projects as education entrepreneurs in India (1:06:00) - What is City as Lab (project based learning program in India?) (1:10:40) - Learning as a parent (1:13:40) - Goals as an educator and entrepreneur for the coming ten years (1:16:00) - Book Recommendations (1:19:00) - Closing Notes Show Links Purvi on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/purvi-vora-76690a20/ Reniscience Education Website - https://reniscienceeducation.com/about/ City as Lab Website - https://cityaslabindia.org/what-is-cal/ Show Description #LearningStories is an audio and video show where we interview a diverse set of learners from the 21st century. Each guest profiled here has a unique story to share about how they acquired a set of valuable skills and knowledge in a creative and innovative manner.

On Episode 91 of the #LearningStories podcast we chat with Gopal MS. He is an advertising professional and photographer. His online project is called 'Mumbai Paused', and it documents Mumbai's streets and life through photography, shared across online platforms and social media using his phone and camera. Before 2009, he documented the streets of Bangalore on a blog called 'Which Main? What Cross?'. His project is driven by a daily habit where he walks the streets, takes public transport, and sometimes visit interesting corners of the city to shoot pictures of whatever catches his eye. He then posts them on Instagram with relevant hashtags. He also features them on his blog and creates photo essays on Substack to place the images in larger contexts. Additionally he makes digital zines and photo books available online. You can find him on Instagram, Blogger and Substack. Show Chapters (00:05) - Podcast Introduction (00:30) - Guest Background (02:40) - Childhood Stories (02:55) - "I'm originally from Bangalore" (03:20) - "My father had a public sector job" (03:25) - "My mother was a housewife" (03:45) - "Bangalore was very cosmopolitan" (04:00) - What was your relationship to books as a student? (04:50) - Why did you love listening to the radio? (05:40) - Why did you love reading magazines as a student? (06:30) - "Everybody was supposed to become an engineer" (07:30) - What was it like growing up in Bengaluru in the 1980s and 1990s? (08:45) - On spending time outdoors (09:00) - What were your favourite television shows? (09:50) - "I learned Hindi by watching a lot of Doordarshan" (10:50) - "During a test match all of Bengaluru came to a stand still" (12:50) - The economic realities of India (17:00) - What were the most popular advertisements in the 80s and 90s? (17:50) - "There were lots of jingles in advertisements" (19:20) - "I also used to collect and cutout ads a lot" (19:40) - "Print Ads influenced me" (20:50) - What killed advertising? (21:40) - The story of Campa Cola (23:00) - Where does the money go in advertising agencies today? (24:00) - What did you study in college and university? (25:00) - "I wanted to study History" (25:10) - "I took up Science in junior college" (25:10) - "I studied hotel management at the under graduate level" (27:00) - "I was lost for several years and the Internet saved me" (27:10) - What was your first blog and online project? (28:00) - Why did you move to Mumbai to become a copywriter? (31:50) - Training to become an advertising professional and photographer (34:00) - The stories behind your photography projects (34:20) - Learning photography within an ad agency (35:00) - "I came to Bombay from Bangalore in 2000" (35:10) - Early days in advertising in Mumbai (36:50) - "My wife gifted me a digital camera in the mid 2000s" (37:50) - "I used to shoot pictures on the way to work" (39:00) - "I started posting Mumbai Paused photos on Instagram in 2011" (40:10) - On finding your voice as a photographer (41:10) - "Clicking photos became a habit" (42:10) - "I loved gathering and recording information" (45:10) - "My photographs are about ordinary and daily things (51:00) - Talking about Gopal's Photographs (1:09:15) - Book Recommendation (1:10:15) - Podcast Recommendation (1:11:00) - Film Recommendation (1:12:00) - Photographer Recommendations (1:17:00) - Go Hallu Hallu Project Story (1:21:00) - Closing Notes Show Links Mumbai Paused on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mumbaipaused/ Mumbai Paused on Substack - https://mumbaipaused.substack.com/archive Mumbai Paused - https://mumbaipaused.blogspot.com/ Which Main? What Cross? - https://mainsandcrosses.blogspot.com/ Photo Credit Island Hopping, 2011, Gopal MS Show Description #LearningStories is an audio and video show where we interview a diverse set of learners from the 21st century. Each guest profiled here has a unique story to share about how they acquired a set of valuable skills and knowledge in a creative and innovative manner.

On Episode 90 of the #LearningStories podcast we chat with Prachi Gohil. Prachi is a technology consultant by profession and a humanist at heart. Born and brought up in Mumbai, she has lived in New York City, Seattle, Raleigh, Bengaluru and Pune. A self-taught writer, an avid reader and a budding patron of the arts, she believes creativity is deeply embedded in the human consciousness. She hosts silent readings at Fictionary Bandra and curates art crawls for creative communities in Mumbai. She’s been working on the manuscript for her debut non-fiction book, “To Wonderland”, a collection of essays, poems and short stories delving into the identity of a young woman navigating the modern world of interconnected digital and analog experiences. You can find her on Instagram, Linkedin and Substack. Show Chapters (00:05) - Podcast Introduction (00:30) - Guest Background (01:20) - On her debut non fiction book (01:55) - Stories from your childhood (02:00) - "Mumbai is my favourite city" (02:45) - "I have a sister who is an architect" (02:50) - "There was not too much social media back in the day" (03:10) - "We had a lot of free time in the afternoons after school" (04:50) - On my family environment (05:40) - "I expressed my creativity through words" (06:00) - On making space for creativity and free play (07:50) - Growing up around readers and languages at home (08:50) - "We always had books which were age appropriate at home" (09:30) - "We were told stories in English, Marathi and Gujarati" (10:20) - Books I loved from a young age (18:00) - Studying Engineering and Marketing as a university student (18:10) - "Teenage years are always a really rough time" (18:30) - "I liked Mathematics and the Pure Sciences" (19:20) - "Programming has an element of creativity" (19:40) - My experience as an engineering student for 4+ years (20:50) - "I got to learn programming and a lot of it was self taught (21:00) - "Classroom education was not as exciting for me" (21:30) - Exploring jobs and internships after my undergraduate degree (22:25) - Starting a creative consultancy business after college (23:00) - My first internship experience (23:20) - "My non-paid internship turned into a full time advertising job opportunity" (24:00) - Why I was curious about digital marketing? (24:30) - My gap year and exploring freelance writing (25:00) - Pursuing graduate studies at NYU in integrated marketing (25:50) - Experience living and studying in New York City (27:00) - Creativity in the arts and sciences (29:30) - Balancing work and hobbies as a working professional (31:50) - "On Sundays, I started a ritual of writing a blog" (32:10) - "I maintained a blog called, 'Simply Prachi' for a long time" (32:30) - Writing to understand my different identities, relationships and life experiences (34:20) - Experience living and working in Seattle (36:00) - Growing up in the age of social media (37:00) - How Instagram and Twitter has changed over time? (38:00) - How technology shaped my relationships? (40:00) - "I have recorded these experiences over time in my blog and letters" (42:50) - Moving back to India and living in different cities (43:00) - Technology and the illusion of connection (44:00) - Living in Bengaluru and Pune during the digital revolution in India (45:20) - How technology can impact your dating life? (48:30) - How technology helps you as a reader? (51:00) - How technology helps you as a writer? (57:00) - On nurturing book and art communities in Mumbai (1:02:10) - Book Recommendation (1:03:30) - Film Recommendation (1:04:30) - Art Recommendation (1:05:30) - Closing Notes Show Links Prachi's Website - https://www.prachigohil.com/ Show Description #LearningStories is an audio and video show where we interview a diverse set of learners from the 21st century. Each guest profiled here has a unique story to share about how they acquired a set of valuable skills and knowledge in a creative and innovative manner.

On Episode 89 of the #LearningStories podcast we chat with Uday Khambadkone. He was born and raised in Mumbai. He discovered his passion for photography while pursuing an Engineering degree in the United States. An accidental encounter with a dark room course in Irving, Texas sparked a journey that has led to more than two decades in documenting cultures and social causes around the world. You can find him on Substack and Linkedin. Show Chapters (00:05) - Podcast Introduction (00:30) - Guest Background (02:25) - Stories from your childhood (02:35) - "I had a younger brother" (02:45) - "Both my parents used to go to work" (03:10) - "We spent a lot of time in my grandmother's place" (03:45) - What was your relationship with your brother? (04:20) - The cabinet incident at home (05:00) - What do you remember of your school days? (05:40) - "I was not a very studious student" (05:50) - "I did not enjoy history and geography" (06:00) - "I liked math and science" (06:17) - "I also enjoyed baking" (07:00) - What kind of books do you like reading now? (08:00) - My 8th grade math teacher (08:40) - Breaking down radios at home with my brother (10:00) - What were your memories of studying engineering as a student? (10:20) - "I always like to try different things to solve problems" (11:00) - The experience of writing and submitting an academic paper (12:45) - Experience as a graduate student in the US (14:00) - The transition from digital signal processing to telecommunication (15:20) - What were your early years as an engineer in the US like for you? (16:30) - The positive and negative aspects of moving to a new country (17:30) - "I went with a very open mind" (18:00) - "I did not experience too much discrimination" (21:40) - The many narratives and stories of a place (22:55) - What was your experience learning photography at a community college? (23:45) - "I took photography classes in that community college for 6+ years" (24:50) - "In the US, lots of working professionals do courses at community colleges" (25:30) - Who were your first photography teachers? (27:20) - How did you work with your community college to create photography courses? (28:00) - The difference between learning to be an engineer and a photographer (29:00) - "I never looked at photography as a professional endeavor" (30:00) - Why photography was not a viable career option? (31:00) - "I was using my job to fund my love for photography" (32:00) - How did social media change photography? (32:40) - "Instagram is quite limiting as a platform" (33:10) - Why do photographers need to study the work of other photographers? (34:10) - Advice for newer generation of photographers (37:35) - How to find your voice as a photographer? (37:55) - Stories behind the Photography Project in Ecuador (42:10) - Stories behind the Photography Project in Mexico (43:10) - Stories behind the Photography Project in Bosnia (45:00) - How your lived experience influences your photography? (46:30) - How we remember the stories of our life? (47:10) - How we present our lives on social media? (48:00) - Researching the people in my photos (50:20) - Stories behind capturing photos of a mother (53:35) - The value of family photographs (1:00:15) - Why print photographs and the dangers of digital photos? (1:01:20) - How loved ones capture your photos? (1:04:20) - The photographers legacy collective (1:07:00) - Learning from street photographers you admire (1:11:00) - Closing Notes Show Links Uday's Website - https://udaykhambadkone.com/ 'Chalo Chalo Click' Substack Newsletter - https://chaloclickclick.substack.com/about Uday on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/udaykhambadkone/ Show Description #LearningStories is an audio and video show where we interview a diverse set of learners from the 21st century. Each guest profiled here has a unique story to share about how they acquired a set of valuable skills and knowledge in a creative and innovative manner.

On Episode 88 of the #LearningStories podcast we chat with Shruti Sah. She is an entrepreneur, documentary film maker, branding professional, community builder and baker. She completed an undergraduate degree in English Literature at Delhi University, followed by a graduate degree in Mass Communication at Christ University. She then spent eight years in the corporate world as a branding, PR and communication professional. During this time she also started building and working on projects that brought people together around food, books and public spaces. Theses projects include the Third Base Bakery, Bookmark Dating App and Pint of View Club. Apart from these projects she co-founded, Cubbon Reads and steered the silent reading movement across the globe with 120+ chapters in 70+ cities. She also works independently as a documentary film maker. In this episode we spoke about her professional journey and stories from her childhood and college years that shaped her thinking over time. You can find her on Instagram and Linkedin. Show Chapters (00:05) - Podcast Introduction (00:30) - Guest Background (01:10) - Stories from your childhood (01:15) - "I was quite a rebel kid" (02:00) - "Me and my sister learned Bharatnatyam from a young age" (04:00) - How did you develop a passion for baking from a young age? (06:10) - What made you chose English Literature as a college major? (09:10) - What was your experience studying Mass Communication at Christ University? (11:10) - Taking a career break to explore other projects and interests (12:00) - How did you learn documentary film making from scratch as an adult? (13:00) - How did you grandfather influence and shape your thinking? (16:00) - My first childhood business project of selling toffees (18:20) - How did your parents influence and shape your thinking? (20:20) - My childhood friends and nurturing those bonds (21:20) - "Allahabad was a very small town and everyone knew everyone then" (22:00) - Memories of Early Life in Allahabad (27:10) - What was your experience studying English Literature at Delhi University? (28:10) - "Allahabad and Delhi are very different cities" (29:10) - On college friendships (31:10) - "English Literature does not offer you a clear career path" (32:10) - What extra curricular activities were you involved in at Delhi University? (34:10) - What books do you remember reading and studying at university? (38:10) - What was your experience in the corporate world for eight years? (39:10) - "I knew I get bored and could not do the same thing for long" (40:10) - "I worked at Edelman in Gurgaon for three years (41:10) - What was your experience working in a Public Relations roles for 3 years? (43:10) - What was your experience working as a Brand Strategist at LBB? (47:00) - What was your experience working as brand manager for 3 years? (48:00) - "I had a lot of work life balance and explored other projects during this time" (50:00) - What is the story behind Cubbon Reads? (54:50) - Why did people from other cities want to recreate Cubbon Reads? (55:50) - The power of silent reading communities (58:20) - "Bringing people together brings me so much joy" (58:40) - The story behind my home bakery project (59:15) - The story behind the Bookmark Dating App (59:35) - "I love talking to people and meeting new people (1:02:40) - Documentary Film Recommendations (1:09:30) - Book Recommendation (1:11:30) - Closing Notes Show Links Shruti on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shrutisah/ Shruti on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/shrutisah/ Third Base Bakery - https://www.instagram.com/thirdbase.bakery/ Cubbon Reads - https://www.instagram.com/cubbonreads/ Pint of View - https://www.instagram.com/pintofview.club/ Bookmark App - https://www.instagram.com/bookmarkappco/ Show Description #LearningStories is an audio and video show where we interview a diverse set of learners from the 21st century.

On Episode 87 of the #LearningStories podcast we chat with Harsh Snehanshu. He is a technology entrepreneur and community builder. He built Your Quote which was India's largest writing platform that is home to over 7 millions writers and 200 million posts. He also built the Bookmark Dating App. Apart from startups he co-founded, Cubbon Reads and steered the silent reading movement across the globe with 120+ chapters in 70+ cities. Of late he is scaling his newest community, Pint of View - a lecture series movement in bars and pubs across the world. You can find him on YourQuote, Instagram and Linkedin. Show Chapters (00:05) - Podcast Introduction (00:30) - Guest Background (02:00) - "My father worked in SBI and we moved around a lot" (02:20) - "Eventually we settled in Dhanbad (Jharkhand)" (03:30) - What was your favourite subject at school? (05:00) - When did you decide to become an engineer? (06:05) - "A lot of the learning in high school was curiosity driven" (08:20) - What was the influence of your father (banker) on your journey? (12:20) - What was the influence of your mother (academic) on your journey? (13:50) - "When you merge creativity with enterprise it is magical" (16:30) - How did you crack the IIT JEE entrance exam? (21:00) - How to critique your ideas? (23:00) - What was your experience studying at IIT Delhi? (28:50) - How did you publish your first book in college? (29:50) - "In my third year I was making 3-4 lakhs as royalties from book sales" (30:40) - "I studied Engineering Physics for 4 years at IIT Delhi (31:00) - Why did you love reading biographies of scientists? (32:00) - Why did you love reading biographies and books by saints? (36:40) - What was your relationship to books as a student (38:55) - The importance of believing in yourself as a creator (39:45) - The letter feature on Bookmark Dating App (41:10) - Why Cubbon Reads got such a positive response? (41:40) - "I want to solve for myself and then others" (42:00) - The benefits of reading literary fiction (43:00) - Why I believe my core skillset is writing? (45:00) - "Startups and Publishing were on the rise in the 2010's" (46:00) - How did you write and publish four books right out of college? (48:00) - How do I make money from my one-liners and #WittyShit? (49:30) - The story behind the T-Shirt Startup I co-founded in college (51:00) - How did books shape your thinking? (54:00) - Why you wanted to study the arts after engineering? (57:00) - How did you fund your plan to travel around India for a year? (59:45) - What places did you visit when you travelled around India for a year? (1:02:00) - Dealing with a health crisis as a young adult (1:04:00) - What was your experience as a student at Young India Fellowship? (1:08:30) - What was your experience working as a full time journalist? (1:12:30) - "Your Quote was not my first startup idea" (1:14:00) - How did you deal with startup failures? (1:14:30) - How did you create and build YourQuote? (1:19:25) - What were your struggles with YourQuote? (1:21:40) - Why entrepreneurs and creators have to be critical by default? (1:28:00) - The story behind Cubbon Reads (1:34:00) - The problem with Engineering Graduates (1:36:00) - Love for bird watching (1:38:00) - How you think about startups and communities? (1:45:00) - Love for old cars (1:49:00) - Closing Notes Show Links Harsh on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/harshsnehanshu/ Harsh on Linkedin -  https://www.linkedin.com/in/harshsnehanshu/ Harsh on Goodreads -https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3404537.Harsh_Snehanshu Pint of View Club - https://www.instagram.com/pintofview.club/ Cubbon Reads - https://www.instagram.com/cubbonreads/ Your Quote - https://www.yourquote.in/ Bookmark App - https://www.instagram.com/bookmarkappco/ Pretty Old Cars - https://www.instagram.com/prettyoldcars/ Show Description #LearningStories is an audio and video show where we interview a diverse set of learners from the 21st century.

On Episode 86 of the #LearningStories podcast we chat with Sukriti YJ. She is an author, screenwriter and webcomic producer based in Mumbai. Her indie production company is called Unibrow Stories. Sukriti's three novels include the, 'Gold Digger' (an action adventure set in Bihar), 'Beta Builder' (a sci-fi novella set in Mumbai) and 'The Lehenga Games' (a treasure hunt through India's fashion history). Her webcomic, 'Love on a Visa', a campus rom-com between an Indian girl and a Korean boy is ongoing on Webtoon and Tapas, earning 20,000 views. You can find her on Instagram @suki_unibrow. Show Chapters (00:05) - Podcast Introduction (00:20) - Guest Background (01:50) - Stories from your childhood (02:00) - "I grew up in a family full of teachers" (02:25) - "A lot of people loved reading at home" (03:20) - What were the first books you loved reading? (07:10) - What subjects did you love learning at school? (08:05) - "I did not want to become a writer until I tried out other fields" (09:50) - What were the first writing assignments you remember enjoying as a student? (11:30) - What was your experience studying Literature in the IB Curriculum? (13:50) - How did your high school teachers shape your thinking about reading and writing? (16:00) - The Power of Stories (17:50) - What was your experience as a student at London School of Economics? (20:50) - Advice for anyone going abroad (22:00) - Learning from other cultures and contexts (25:40) - The co-curricular life of a university student (27:50) - Why did you decide to pursue an MFA in Creative Non Fiction in New York? (28:40) - "I took a year off after my first degree" (28:50) - What is Creative Non-Fiction? (30:30) - On peers in a writing program (31:30) - What did you like about living in New York? (33:30) - What kinds of writing assignments do you complete in an MFA program? (33:40) - "There were lectures, seminars and workshops (34:00) - What were your favourite courses in the MFA program? (36:00) - What was special about learning how to write in a writing workshop? (40:00) - Why 'Lehenga Games' took me seven years to complete? (42:00) - How 'Gold Digger' took me three months to write (45:00) - How did you navigate the early years of your career after your university years? (45:10) - "The long term dream was to be a famous and popular writer" (45:30) - "My ghostwriting job after university paid really well" (46:00) - "I spent 2 years working and researching my novel when I moved to Denver, Colorado" (48:10) - What are the S.P.I.C.E. trades? (51:10) - How to introduce yourself as a creative professional? (53:10) - How to talk about finances as a creative professional? (55:55) - Why did you start, 'Unibrow Stories' (a creative studio for modern Indian novels, webcomics, and screenplays)? (57:00) - Navigating legal rights and distribution as a creative professional (59:00) - "Indian stories that are not very high brow or low brow" (1:00:00) - Why all our stories have screenplay adaptations (1:00:30) - "I would love to produce these for Youtube or Instagram" (1:03:30) - The Economic Realities of Writing and Publishing in India (1:05:00) - "Scrolling is now our Dickens" (1:10:00) - What did you learn about Indian textiles while researching for, 'The Lehenga Games'? (1:17:00) - Book Recommendations (1:20:00) - Closing Notes Show Links 1. Unibrow Stories Website - https://www.unibrowstories.com/ 2. Unibrow Publications - https://www.unibrowstories.com/novels 3. Sukriti on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/suki_unibrow/ 4. Sukriti on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sukriti-yj-1820201b/ 5. 'The Lehenga Games' Book - https://amzn.in/d/dvXjqqX 6. 'Gold Digger: Treasure of Son Bhandar' Book - https://amzn.in/d/aXq8EOi 7. 'Beta Builder: Mumbai in the Metaverse' Book - https://amzn.in/d/88mhBEh 8. 'Love on a Visa' Webcomic - https://www.webtoons.com/en/canvas/love-on-a-visa/list?title_no=1001717 9. SPICE Trades Newsletter - https://spicetrades.substack.com/

On Episode 85 of the #LearningStories podcast we chat with Deepak Gopalakrishnan. He is a marketing consultant, strategy guy, entrepreneur, podcaster and writer. He runs a strategy studio called Rough Paper. He also co-founded 6% Club a creator coaching program for working professionals. He was the host of 3 podcasts and writes 2 newsletters. He writes the, 'Things of Internet' newsletter where he explores topics are the intersection of technology, culture and humanity. He also loves music. In this episode we spoke about his early years in Bahrain, transitioning from engineering to communications and the purpose of content projects. We also spoke about how you can discover parts of yourself through music. Timestamps (00:05) - Podcast Introduction (00:20) - Guest Background (01:45) - What was it like to grow up in Bahrain in the middle east? (02:20) - "I spent a lot of time on my own in those early years" (03:00) - "My love for music started in Bahrain because we did not have cable" (03:50) - What were the first songs you loved listening to as a student? (04:10) - What was your relationship to sports as a student? (04:30) - The Story of Cable TV, Sachin Tendulkar and the Electronic Repair Shop (06:30) - "Life had a slow pace in the Gulf" (07:00) - What were your memories of reading comic books as a student? (08:30) - How did you navigate the transition from Bahrain to Cochin? (12:30) - What was your first content project? (13:00) - "I used to love cartooning and drawing" (16:30) - The purpose and importance of content projects (19:30) - What is the acid test for content projects? (21:00) - Why do people remember stories? (23:00) - Why did you study engineering and communications in university? (23:10) - "I got into engineering because of chemistry and a secure future job" (23:45) - "Sometime during engineering I learned about advertising" (25:00) - What was your experience as an engineering student? (27:00) - What was your experience at MICA as a graduate student? (27:40) - Why is happiness what you make of it? (30:00) - How has your relationship to music changed over time? (31:40) - "Music is helping me figure out everything else in life" (32:10) - What was the impact of learning Carnatic Music for 8 years? (33:00) - "My love for melody came from that early experience" (34:00) - How did popular music enter your life? (34:30) - "I started listening to English songs in college" (34:45) - "When you play an instrument, you start listening to music differently" (36:10) - Why was it magical to make music as a college student? (36:30) - What was the role of live concerts and better audiophile gear? (37:00) - How to think about the music you love? (39:20) - "I felt this compulsion to keep up with a lot of music" (42:00) - How letting go helped you rediscover a love for music? (47:00) - How music changed your internal algorithm for life? (56:00) - Watching 'Blackstrat Blues' play live (58:50) - Why listen to music that moves you? (1:01:10) - Music and Identity in your 20's, 30's and 40's (1:04:00) - "I am deeply fascinated by how technology impacts culture" (1:07:30) - What you love about, 'Opeth'? (1:13:20) - What you love about, 'The Beatles'? (1:16:00) - What is Rough Paper (brand consulting)? (1:18:00) - What is The 6% Club (coaching for creators)? (1:24:00) - Closing Notes Links Chuck's Website - https://www.chuckofalltrades.in/about-me Rough Paper Website - https://www.roughpaper.in/ The 6% Club Website - https://www.thesixpercent.club/ Chuck on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/chuckofalltrades Chuck on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuckofalltrades/ 'Things of Internet' Newsletter Archives - https://thingsofinternet.substack.com/archive 'Simblified' Podcast - https://www.chuckofalltrades.in/simblified 'Getting Meta' Podcast - https://www.chuckofalltrades.in/getting-meta-podcast 'The Origin of Things' Podcast - https://www.chuckofalltrades.in/the-origin-of-things

On Episode 84 of #LearningStories we chat with Ranjana Aanjjan Srivastava on Theatre and Design. She has 14 years of live theatre experience and 7 years of work experience in the design industry. As a graphic designer and visual consultant she has worked with brands like Asian Paints, Catrol, Lakme Fashion Week, Papa Johns, Pedigree and Whiskas. She also grew up immersed in the world of theatre as a young child and has acted in over 200 live performances of plays like Shatranj Ke Mohre, Drishtidaan, Bilquis Begum Ka Baada and Ek Aur Dronacharya. She has also shown her versatility as an actor through music videos and print work. In this episode we spoke about her childhood influences, life as a theatre actor and her experiences working on brand campaigns as a designer. Timestamps (00:10) - Podcast Introduction (01:10) - Guest Background (03:00) - Who was Ranjana as a student? (03:50) - What subjects did you find interesting in school? (05:15) - Why did you like History as a subject? (08:00) - What was it like growing up in a family that worked in the arts? (09:50) - "I always wanted to explore the things I could be good at" (10:00) - How I thought about choosing my career? (11:00) - "I did my first audition for a street play at St. Xaviers" (11:35) - "I used to attend a lot of theatre rehearsals growing up" (12:00) - What was different about acting as a career? (13:00) - "As an actor I use my inferences from life experiences and observations" (13:10) - How to find your space and voice as an actor? (15:10) - What is the purpose of theatre as an art form? (15:40) - What is the story of the Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA)? (17:15) - "'Natak' is audio and visual combined" (18:05) - "Empathy is one of the most important things for an art form" (18:35) - What is the responsibility of an artist? (19:30) - How has theatre changed in the modern times (21:30) - "The audience will connect with your heart and soul" (22:30) - The skills of theatre actors (23:15) - What have you learned from other theatre actors and theatre directors? (25:30) - What did I learn from Aanjjan Srivastava? (27:00) - What did I learn from observing M.S. Sathyu's set designs? (28:35) - What did I learn from observing Naseeruddin Shah's plays? (32:00) - What was your experience as a student at St. Xaviers and KC College? (32:20) - What degree and specialization did you complete in college? (32:40) - "St. Xaviers gave me my knack for acting" (32:50) - "KC gave me my early experiences in design" (33:20) - "You study 36 different subjects over 3 years in the BMM program" (34:00) - How did you learn about design in college? (35:00) - "I would take up design projects from agencies and peers" (35:20) - How did you apply your design skills in the world of theatre? (42:30) - What professional experiences did you acquire after university? (43:30) - What was your experience working on a food festival campaign? (46:20) - "Alignment and Harmony is important for any campaign" (48:45) - What are the different kinds of design professionals? (55:20) - How to study and acquire skills in the field of design? (58:20) - What are your favourite brands and products as a designer? (1:01:10) - "Good designers focus on functionality and aesthetics" (1:01:40) - What are some roles you have worked on as an actor in plays? (1:03:00) - How do you prepare for a play as an actor? (1:08:50) - What are the three main jobs of an actor? (1:13:00) - Challenges of the acting profession (1:17:45) - Recommendations and Closing Notes Links Ranjana on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ranjana.aanjjan/ Ranjana on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ranjana-aanjjan-srivastava-332797b8/ IPTA Mumbai Plays - http://iptamumbai.com/PlaysRecommendation 1 - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/382702.On_Acting Recommendation 2 - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/237328.The_Art_of_Acting Recommendation 3 - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21818816/

On Episode 83 of #LearningStories we chat with Amrita Singh. Amrita is a neuroscientist; she earned a PhD from Johns Hopkins University in 2023 and currently works at as a clinical research scientist. She has always been interested in writing. She runs a blog called 'Learning To Be Happy' where she writes about various topics of interest including, but not limited to, popular science and mental health. She is also working on writing fiction. Since April 2023, she has volunteered for CEGIS, an organization that aims to improve the governance of Indian states. She loves playing board games, singing, and dabbling in all kinds of art. In this episode we spoke about her childhood influences, life as a scientist and her love for reading and writing. Timestamps (00:10) - Podcast Introduction (01:10) - Guest Background (02:40) - How has your perspective on Science changed as a neuroscientist? (03:25) - "I wanted to be a scientist from a very young age" (03:30) - "My parents are both scientists" (03:32) - "I grew up on a university campus in Mumbai" (04:15) - What were your earliest memories of neuroscience in a lab? (05:30) - "In college I got much more interested in the biology of the brain" (05:50) - What are some challenges of working in academia? (08:30) - "There is a lot of pressure to publish papers for any individual scientist" (10:45) - How to make science fun, accessible and engaging for children? (15:30) - How can parents help their children develop an excitement for Science? (16:00) - "A lot of kids in schools develop a very negative association of Science" (16:05) - "Science is difficult because they don't understand the fundamentals" (17:00) - "Kids are naturally curious" (19:00) - How can libraries or museums inspire children (19:40) - "I remember going to Nehru Planetarium as a child to see the dome with stars" (20:30) - What were the first books you loved reading as a student? (21:30) - "I read voraciously as a kid" (23:00) - Why were you obsessed with the Harry Potter Series? (24:00) - What were two books you loved reading as a young adult? (25:00) - What was your relationship to libraries as a student? (25:40) - "In college and during my PhD reading took a hit (26:00) - How audiobooks got you out of a reading slump? (27:00) - Why is reading as an adult much more difficult (28:30) - What did you like about, 'Name of the Wind' by Patrick Rothfuss? (29:00) - What keeps you motivated to read as an adult (30:00) - How do you discover and find new books to read? (33:00) - How did you discover 'Persepolis' by Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud? (34:10) - "I have read several books by authors from different nationalities" (35:10) - "I get recommendations from my book club here in New York" (39:10) - When did you first start writing? What did you write about? (41:00) - "A bunch of us kids decided to write a storybook (42:00) - "I liked writing short stories and essays" (44:00) - How did you end up enrolling in an online writing course? (45:00) - "In 2023 the way to write is to create a Substack (46:00) - What were the stories behind your first essays on Substack? (49:50) - "I love writing and now it is the best part of my week" (52:00) - Why did you write an essay on music lyrics? (58:00) - What is the connection between art and neuroscience? (1:02:50) - What is the evolutionary purpose of art? (1:07:00) - Podcast and Music Recommendations (1:09:00) - Tell us about your work with public policy and governance (1:13:00) - Closing Notes Links Amrita on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/amrita-singh-5546568b/ Amrita on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/amoose_art 'Learning to be Happy' Substack - https://learningtobehappy.substack.com/ Description This is an audio and video show where we interview a diverse set of learners from the 21st century. Each guest profiled here has a unique story to share about how they acquired a set of valuable skills and knowledge in a creative and innovative manner.

On Episode 82 of #LearningStories we chat with Diya Sengupta. Diya is the founder and co-curator of Juhu Reads, a silent reading community in Mumbai. She is also a Sustainability Strategy leader in a global strategy and consulting firm. She was born in Durgapur in West Bengal. She grew up across mining towns in Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh owing to her father's transfer prone job with Coal India Limited. Her reading and writing comes from fond memories of growing up in India's hinterlands. She is an avid reader and passionate book reviewer. In this episode we spoke about her childhood, her love for books and how she nurtured and built a silent reading community in the fast paced city of Mumbai. Timestamps (00:10) - Podcast Introduction (01:10) - Guest Background (02:00) - About Juhu Reads (03:30) - Stories from your Childhood (03:38) - "I am always happy to talk about books and childhood" (03:58) - "I grew up in small mining towns" (04:00) - What did your parents do? (04:35) - What did your grand parents do? (04:45) - "I was born in Durgapur, West Bengal" (04:50) - "I spent the first seven years of my life in Asansol, West Bengal" (05:30) - What were your first memories of books as a child? (05:55) - "My parents were both avid readers of Bangla and English Literature" (07:40) - "I remember climbing mango and guava trees with my books" (08:45) - What did your mother and father love reading? (10:30) - "My parents had a large home library" (12:40) - What were your memories of growing up in small mining towns as a teenager? (16:57) - "I would have to buy books from larger cities" (17:40) - "I moved to Calcutta for further education at the age of 17" (19:00) - What did you decide to study in high school and university? (19:32) - "If I chose Arts I would be looked down on as Science was prioritized" (22:22) - "I completed my Bachelor in Commerce from University of Calcutta" (23:00) - "I moved to Mumbai for a finance job in the mid 2000s (23:30) - How did you transition into a career in the field of sustainability? (24:30) - "In between I took a year off to complete an executive MBA" (26:30) - What were your memories of living & working in Mumbai in the 2000s and 2010s? (29:45) - What is your idea of home? (32:30) - "I am a country and provincial girl at heart" (34:00) - What is the day to day life of a consultant? (37:00) - How reading fiction can help you professionally (39:00) - What is a silent reading community? What are its origins? (41:00) - What is the story of Juhu Reads and its readers? (43:30) - What were some challenges you faced in the first few months of Juhu Reads? (47:20) - What were some joyful stories of readers you meet at Juhu Reads? (52:40) - What are some book recommendations? (53:00) - "Since 2022, I developed an interest in contemporary Indian writers" (53:50) - Why read, 'The Firebird' by Saikat Majumdar? (54:10) - Why read, 'A Speck of Coal Dust' by Rohit Manchanda? (54:55) - Why read, 'The Last Song of Dusk' by Siddhant Dhanvant Sanghavi? (55:35) - Why read, 'Blue Women' by Anukriti Upadhyay (56:00) - How I write book reviews? Why they matter (59:20) - How has reading added value to your life? (01:02:00) - Closing Notes Links 1. Diya on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/diya-sengupta-410b5213/ 2. Juhu Reads Instagram Page - https://www.instagram.com/juhureads/ 3. Author Page on Scroll.in: https://scroll.in/author/23853 4. Article on Juhu Reads 100th session - https://www.mid-day.com/lifestyle/culture/article/world-book-day-2025-its-100-how-mumbais-silent-reading-communities-continue-to-engage-readers-23525485 Description This is an audio and video show where we interview a diverse set of learners from the 21st century. Each guest profiled here has a unique story to share about how they acquired a set of valuable skills and knowledge in a creative and innovative manner.