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/