5.22 Chitra Divakaruni: Meet Phenomenal Indian Women Through Partition, Migration, and Mythology

Find out the nuances of writing feminist mythological retellings and historical fiction from the master storyteller, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni! Join Tara and Michelle as they talk to her about her inspirations, her writing process, and her latest book ‘Independence’, which is a story of three sisters during the Partition of India and West Bengal. What is her origin story as a writer? How does she decide what stories to write? How did she navigate through the limitations of mythology to create strong women characters? Tune in to find out! Books mentioned in this episode: -Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni-The Last Queen by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni-Mistress of Spices by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni-Tomb of Sand by Geetanjali Shree-Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh-The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood-Karna’s Wives: The Outcast Queen by Kavita Kane-The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy -Liberation of Sita by VolgaProduced by Aishwarya JavalgekarSound edit by Kshitij JadhavApplications 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.