In this captivating episode of The Brand Called You (TBCY), host Ashutosh Garg sits down with acclaimed author Lya Badgley to explore the fascinating intersections of art, politics, multicultural identities, and personal transformation in storytelling. Lya, known for her novels The Foreigner's Confession (Cambodia), The Worth of a Ruby (Myanmar), and her forthcoming The 35th Page (Bosnia), shares her personal journey from being born in Yangon to American parents, to her unconventional career traversing the worlds of music, human rights, and literature.
Discover how her multicultural upbringing, intellectual parents, and global adventures informed her unique approach to writing. Dive into discussions about the delicate balance between mystical and real, the impact of grief and moral complexity in her books, and the evolution of her protagonists. Lya also delves into how her works preserve fragments of history, speculate on the untold stories, and why facing our personal shadows is key to collective healing.