1.4: Tashan Mehta - Fly into Fantastical Worlds

How do you unleash your imagination? And how do you embrace failure? Author Tashan Mehta talks to us about all things speculative fiction – from the growth of the genre in India to her favourite works within it. She takes us through her life, describing incidents and stories that changed her worldview on writing and cultivated her love for speculative fiction. She gushes about the flexibility, lack of rules and the ability of the genre to create experiences, transport the reader to alternate realities and most importantly, make them think. She talks about her struggles writing her first book – working on a single book for 5 years isn’t easy. Neither is rewriting your first draft 52 times. She shares strategies for everything – from inspiration to writer’s block to perseverance – which she’s learned from personal experience, from interacting with her writer friends and from the workshops she’s conducted. Tune in as we take you on a journey through Tashan’s mind as she tries to put her creative process into words and gives us a glimpse into her imagination.'Books and Beyond with Bound' is a podcast where Tara Khandelwal and Michelle D'costa of Bound talk to some of the best writers in India and find out what makes them tick. Tashan Mehta is a novelist whose debut novel, The Liar’s Weave, was published in 2017 and shortlisted for the Prabha Khaitan Woman's Voice Award. She was part of the 2015 Sangam House Writers' Residency and was British Council Writer-in-Residence at Anglia Ruskin University in 2018. In 2019, she participated in FIELDWORK 0.2, a multidisciplinary residency exploring alternative infrastructures for the future. Her short stories have been anthologised in Magical Women and Third Eye.You can get your copy of her book here- https://www.amazon.in/Liars-Weave-Tashan-Mehta/dp/938622819XTune in every Wednesday for a new episode.Follow Bound on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter: @boundindia Follow our podcast on Instagram: @boundpodcastsYou can check out our website at https://www.boundindia.com/podcast/Applications for The Bound Publishing Course 2026 are now open.The Bound Publishing Course is a 3-month intensive course on book, magazine, and digital publishing. Through live sessions, workshops, and industry-facing projects, participants gain practical publishing skills and exposure to careers across the industry.Cohort size: 50 seatsFirst round of acceptances: 15th June 2026Applications are reviewed on a rolling bas‘Books and Beyond with Bound’ is the podcast where Tara Khandelwal and Michelle D’costa uncover how their books reflect the realities of our lives and society today. Find out what drives India’s finest authors: from personal experiences to jugaad research methods, insecurities to publishing journeys. Created by Bound, a storytelling company that helps you grow through stories. Follow us @boundindia on all social media platforms.