Arcx is all about literary inspiration. In episode four, host Anjali Alappat chats with author and editor, Shweta Taneja. Shweta is best known for her urban fantasy Anantya Tantrist series, but has also received recognition for her work in children's books. Her non-fiction book—They Found What?/ They Made What?— was a national best-seller. She also recently published a new sci-fi novel for kids called Kungfu Aunty vs Garbage Monsters.
Additionally, Shweta’s short story, The Daughter That Bleeds, was nominated for the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire in France in 2020. She also won the Editor’s Choice Award for Best Asian Science Fiction (2018) in Singapore for the piece.
Her book They Made What? They Found What? Earned her the Publishing Next Award in 2021 and nominations for the Valley of Words Awards and the AutHer awards. She was also honoured with the Best Writer Award at ComicCon India in 2013 for her graphic novel, The Skull Rosary.
In this episode, we discuss world-building, dark humour, writing urban fantasy for an Indian audience, Tantrism, patriarchal power structures, and forging your own destiny,
You can follow Shweta on Twitter @shwetawrites
Authors, books and media referenced in this episode:
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Going Postal by Terry Pratchett
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Arcx is a series of the Subverse, the podcast of Dark ‘n’ Light, a digital space that chronicles the times we live in and reimagining futures with a focus on science, nature, social justice and culture. Follow us on social media @darknlightzine, or at darknlight.com for episode details and show notes.