Immigrantly Writing Like Nobody’s Watching
18 snips
Mar 18, 2025 
Nayantara Roy, a writer and television executive known for her novels, including The Magnificent Ruins, joins for a rich discussion on identity and storytelling. She dives into the power of cultural memory, the intricacies of code-switching, and how her diverse background informs her writing. Nayantara highlights the fluid nature of happiness, the joy in language, and the emotional weight of representation. The conversation also touches on the complexities of feeling like an outsider and the importance of authentic cultural narratives.
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Language and Identity Connection
- Nayantara grew up speaking mostly English despite Bengali and Hindi knowledge.
- She feels a joyful connection when speaking Bengali, though English is her dominant identity language.
The Power of Code-Switching
- Code-switching is an integral and complex part of identity for multilinguals.
- Switching languages enriches communication and embraces multiple identities simultaneously.
Crafting Laila's Identity
- Nayantara's character Laila is a younger, more reckless version of herself with a more Americanized identity.
- Writing the character involved confronting the complex ties to homeland and identity distance.
