True Fiction Project – Details, episodes & analysis

Hey everyone! Welcome to this week's episode of the True Fiction Project. Today I’m honored to talk with Sathya Saran and learn her story about rising in the editorial world in India that was typically dominated by men. Sathya shares her experience in journalism and explains how she turned around and brought success to the magazine’s Femina India and Me Magazine for the DNA, Daily News and Analysis. Tune in to learn how she flew high, even when her wings were clipped. 

IN THIS EPISODE: 

• [2:16] Sathya shares how she got started with her career path.  
• [8:10] What led to hostility that Sathya experienced in journalism?  
• [9:07] Who is Dr. Mulk Raj Anand and what did meeting with him lead to?  
• [10:34] What was so important about the magazine Femina?  
• [11:55] Sathya shares how she turned Femina magazine around.  
• [18:20] What happened after Sathya left Femina?  
• [21:43] Sathya shares her journey of writing her first book. 
• [23:13] What was the Me Magazine for the DNA, Daily News and Analysis?  
• [28:52] Sathya shares what led her to focus full time on her books.  
• [30:50] Sathya discusses her journey of sharing with others how to write.   

KEY TAKEAWAYS: 

• If you love what you do, and do it with confidence and do it with integrity, it will reward you in some way.  
• Take a chance on yourself! Sathya went outside the box, challenged the norm, and created wild success.  
• Fly high, even if your wings are clipped! 

Subscribe to Reenita’s Storytelling Den on Substack for free or become a paid subscriber to watch the video version of this episode and be eligible to receive other extras such as exclusive content from podcast guests, short stories, exclusive fiction and more! https://substack.com/@reenitahora  

Fiction Credits: 

Read by Sathya Saran 

GUEST RESOURCES: 

Sathya Saran's Twitter  

Sathya Saran's Instagram  

Sathya Saran's LinkedIn 

HOST RESOURCES 

Website 

LinkedIn  

Tiktok  

Instagram  

Facebook  

Twitter (X)  

Substack  

Threads  

LinkTree  

BIO: 

Best known for her long association with Femina, which she edited for 12 years, Sathya Saran is currently Consulting Editor with Penguin Random House India. 

Sathya Saran is also the author of a diverse variety of books. The Dark Side reflects her love of the short story, while the critically acclaimed biographies, Ten Years with Guru Dutt Abrar Alvi's Journey; Sun Mere Bandhu Re The Musical World of SD Burman and Baat Niklegi toh Phir The Life and Music of Jagjit Singh bear testimony to her love of cinema and music. 

Sathya has also written the hugely appreciated biography of Pt Hariprasad Chaurasia. 

Sathya teaches fashion journalism at NIFT Mumbai, Kangra and Srinagar. She has been a stage actor with Veenapani Chawla. 

Passionate about writing, she conceptualised and curates the first of its kind Writers Conclave titled The Spaces between Words the unfestival sponsored by JSW at Kaladham near Hampi. 

Sathya has written a tv serial titled Kashmakash on marital problems. 

Her column in Femina and Me magazine is now continuing to gain new fans as a guest column in Dainik Jagran. She also writes a column for the New Indian Express. 

Hey everyone! Welcome to this week's True Fiction Project. India's celebrating its 78th Independence Day, and we've got a treat for you. A few years back, Shukla Lal shared her Partition story (which we have linked to below). Today, I'm excited to continue that thread with her niece and my lifelong friend, Miel Sahgal.

Miel talks about growing up with her inspiring grandfather, his love for yoga, and how he influenced her essay "Balancing Act." At the end of the episode Miel shares her touching essay which hones into the story of her grandfather and her upbringing. Don’t miss it!

IN THIS EPISODE:

• [4:30] Miel shares how and why she wrote the essay Balancing Act. 
• [6:28] Why did Miel start with her grandfather as a starting point?
• [11:16] What changes or makes things different from where or how or who you descended from to where you grew up in? 
• [14:25] Miel and Reenita share their experiences around ritualistic living. 
• [17:49] Why did Miel’s grandfather promote independence with women in the family? 
• [19:31] How did yoga bring Miel further into her culture in a different way?
• [21:09] What was the connection her grandfather had with her son? 
• [22:48] Did her grandfather’s relationship with younger friends impact his long lifespan? 
• [24:20] Why is the essay called Balancing Act?
• [26:15] Where can you read more of Miel’s work? 
• [27:42] We hear the essay Balancing Act by Miel Sahgal.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Yoga, pronounced yog, means to yoke or unite, and wellness comes not just from contortions, but from the integration of mind, body, and spirit; the enduring ancient teachings apply to everyone. 
• Miel’s lesson from her grandfather was showing that where you live or what you leave behind is not nearly as important as what you carry inside. 
• Part of the fun of being alive is learning and growing. Spend your time listening to stories of those older and younger than you, learning from your culture and others, and continuing to experience all life has to offer.

Subscribe to Reenita’s Storytelling Den on Substack for free or become a paid subscriber to watch the video version of this episode and be eligible to receive other extras such as exclusive content from podcast guests, short stories, exclusive fiction and more! https://substack.com/@reenitahora 

Fiction Credits:

Written and read by Miel Sahgal

Balancing Act in the Hamilton Arts & Letters

RESOURCES:

Books by Miel Sahgal 

S2 EP 4 – India at 75: A special “Partition Story” with Shukla Lal, author of Rano & Phulo Episode

HOST RESOURCES

Website

LinkedIn 

Tiktok 

Instagram 

Facebook 

Twitter (X) 

Substack 

Threads 

LinkTree 

BIO:

Miel Sahgal writes about nature, education, and contemporary world society. She serves on the Advisory Board of the Sanctuary Nature Foundation, where she was previously Managing Editor of Sanctuary Asia and conducted events for children and educators. Miel was born in India, and has co-authored a children’s book on Mumbai as well as a travel book on Maharashtra. She now lives in Southern Ontario, Canada.

In the last episode of season 4 of the True Fiction Project, I am honored to welcome the amazing Anand Thakore. I’ve known Anand since we were in school together, and it has been incredible to see his journey and learn of his success as an Anglophone Poet and Hindustani Classical Musician. During this episode we reminisce on some of our school experiences and share stories. Then we dive in to learn what Anand is up to now, while he shares his latest projects. We hear an excerpt of music and a poem from Deepankar Khiwani, titled Cathedral. Anand shares his experience working with Deepankar and how their work together inspired him to start writing poetry again. The episode goes on to include three original pieces by Anand Thakore titled Sea Link, My Place and Mughal Sequence. Tune in for this entertaining episode!  

IN THIS EPISODE: 

• [2:28] Anand shares about his journey with Sanskrit.  
• [4:03] What was Anand’s journey with music and poetry?  
• [9:49] What is the style of contemporary Indian writing?  
• [10:50] Anand shares his story about the creation of the Mughal Sequence.  
• [13:50] What is the backstory behind some of his latest pieces? 
• [16:30] How do poets utilize characters in their poetry?  
• [18:42] Anand talks about the work he’s done with Deepankar Khivani.  
• [21:23] Anand shares the song and poem Cathedral by Deepankar Khivani.  
• [22:51] We hear the poem Sea Link, by Anand Thakore.  
• [25:09] We hear the poem My Place, by Anand Thakore 
• [26:24] Why was Anand feeling like a sock puppet?  
• [29:01] Anand shares more about the poem Mughal Sequence and then we hear an excerpt from it. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS: 

• [12:51] Anand wants the American audience to understand that they are a trans culture, multicultural, multilingual people. Their themes are Indian, their language is English, their music can be Indian, they can also experience Western music in great depth. 
• [14:49] Anand feels that poetry really has to embrace the moment and be very short and brief and make its statement in a short space.  
• [16:32] Sometimes poets reveal themselves when they are pretending to be someone else.   

Fiction Credits: 

 Poems below written and narrated by: Anand Thakore

• Sea Link 
• My Place
• Mughal Sequence

Cathedral Poem: Written by Deepankar Khiwani and narrated by Anand Thakore 

The Cathedral & John Connon School 

Anand’s song at end of episode: 

• Pt. Anand Thakore - Kabir Bhajan-Kuan thagva nagariya lutal ho (Juhu Hamara Festival Kaifi Azmi Park 2019)

Anand's other works and information:

De Kooning's Smile: Collected Poems

In Praise of Bone

Elephant Bathing

Seven Deaths and Four Scrolls

Selected Poems-1992-2012

youtube interview and reading at book launch

Anand Thakore introduces you to 'In Praise of Bone' ( video)

_THE-KOH-I-NOOR, Poetry International , Anand Thakore

BIO: 

Born in Mumbai in 1971, Anand Thakore grew up in India and in the United Kingdom. He has spent most of his life in Mumbai. His published collections of poetry include In Praise of Bone (2023), Waking In December (2001), Elephant Bathing (2012), Mughal Sequence (2012), and Seven Deaths and Four Scrolls (2017). A Hindustani classical vocalist by training, he has devoted much of his life to the study, performance, composition and teaching of Hindustani vocal music. He received musical instruction for many years from Ustad Aslam Khan, Pandit Baban Haldankar and Pandit Satyasheel Deshpande. He is the founder of Harbour Line, a publishing collective, and of Kshitij, an interactive forum for musicians. He holds an MA in English Literature and is the recipient of grants from The Ministry of Human Resource Development and The Charles Wallace India Trust. He lives in Mumbai and divides his time between writing, performances, and teaching music. His fourth collection of verse, entitled Seven Deaths and Four Scrolls, was recently shortlisted for The Jayadeva National Poetry Award. 

Anand Thakore's Facebook  

Anand Thakore's Website  

Poetry International Website  

Music is a way for everyone to connect, no matter where they come from or what their beliefs are. Today’s guest Pablo Sáinz-Villegas is on the True Fiction Project Podcast to talk about why music and Spanish guitar is the perfect vehicle for storytelling. He discusses the difference between the guitar and Spanish guitar, and how even though they all may have the same six strings, and the same tuning, they all offer something different. He shares his stories of working with other musicians and how storytelling comes out of each piece, whether working alone or collaborating with others. Tune in and close your eyes to enjoy the piece Recuerdos de la Alhambra (Memories of Alhambra in English) by the Spanish composer Franciso Tarrega at the end of the episode.  

IN THIS EPISODE: 

• [2:45] What does Pablo mean by the statement “music and Spanish guitar is the perfect vehicle for storytelling?” 
• [5:25] Is there a difference between a guitar and a Spanish guitar? 
• [7:26] Does Pablo always have the opportunity to explore storytelling even when collaborating and playing with other artists? 
• [10:05] How is Pablo providing children with the opportunity to explore the magic of music? 
• [13:07] Pablo gives an example of what he means by storytelling through music.  
• [16:00] Close your eyes and enjoy hearing the piece Recuerdos de la Alhambra by the Spanish composer Franciso Tarrega.  
• [19:17] Enjoy another piece played by Pablo titled Asturias (Leyenda) 

KEY TAKEAWAYS: 

• [3:25] Music is an experience that we cannot touch, we cannot see, but we feel, and those are the experiences in life that are most transcendental, most profound to us.  
• [5:25] While all guitars have six strings and the same tuning, each instrument is related to a different kind of music because they have different features.  
• [15:07] Music is a way for people to come together and share stories, share about life, and connect on a deep level that connects to our hearts.  

Fiction Credits: 

First song: Recuerdos de la Alhambra by the Spanish composer Franciso Tarrega 

Second song: Asturias (Leyenda) - Isaac Albéniz. Pablo Sainz-Villegas. LIVE at Teatro Mayor, Colombia 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EowSRVAp8rM 

BIO: 

Sainz-Villegas is the "global ambassador of the Spanish guitar" (Billboard Magazine), a star who has brought classical music to millions of people from the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium to a floating stage on the Amazon River or Carnegie Hall in New York. He has been the first guitarist in 38 years to perform at the Philharmonie with the Berlin Philharmonic under Kirill Petrenko. In addition, he has collaborated with artists such as John Williams, Yo-Yo Ma and played for world leaders as the Dalai Lama. Thanks to his charity work Pablo Sainz-Villegas has also been able to bring access to classical music to tens of thousands of children in Spain, Mexico and the United States. 

Pablo Sainz Villegas' Website  

Pablo Saniz Villegas' Personal Facebook  

Pablo Saniz Villegas' Twitter  

Pablo Saniz Villegas' Instagram  

After experiencing a tragic bicycle accident, Mark Berridge spent a year getting his health back. He then decided to write a story to inspire others to keep pushing a little bit further, because they are stronger than they think. This week on the True Fiction Project, Mark Berridge joins Reenita to talk about his accident, and what led him to write his nonfiction book, A Fraction Stronger. Mark discusses future work that he hopes to accomplish, shifting from a nonfiction author to a fiction author, and hopefully one day to playwriting. We then hear an excerpt from the short story, Wondrous Experiences, where a man takes a trip and allows himself to experience it from a new perspective, seeing how the world is truly vibrant and full of possibility. 

IN THIS EPISODE:

• [2:20] Mark talks about winning an award for his nonfiction book.
• [3:26] What is A Fraction Stronger about?
• [5:13] Mark discusses his physical therapist that was instrumental in his journey to be able to walk again
• [9:03] Does Mark hope to write more books?
• [15:57] Mark shares where people can learn more about him. 
• [17:32] Mark shares an excerpt from the short story, Wondrous Experiences.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• [4:43] We are all a fraction stronger than we realize, and if we find that inner strength and channel it and embrace the support around us, then we can achieve almost anything. 
• [14:58] In a world where we are so interconnected in a way because of technology, there’s still nothing quite like going somewhere and really making connections and finding your tribe, or finding something that changes your life.
• [24:26] If you immerse yourself in the world’s range of potential experiences, you can feel truly alive. 

Fiction Credits:

Story written by: Mark Berridge

Story narrated by: Mark Berridge

BIO:

Mark Berridge has broad experience in negotiation, marketing, strategy and transformation. His most prominent corporate role was the Chief Negotiator for Rio Tinto Iron Ore from 2012 to 2015 where he led the pricing strategy for revenue worth USD20 billion.

Mark always enjoyed finding high value in complex situations. In March 2019 he became his own subject matter when a bicycle crash changed his life forever. Mark fractured 2 vertebrae and heard the devastating words spinal cord injury. He spent 7 weeks in hospital and 9 months in full time rehabilitation regaining the ability to walk. He will strive to maintain and improve his mobility all his remaining life.

Mark now writes and speaks about the impacts of disruption and how we can fight our way forward from almost any situation. His inspirational award-winning book A Fraction Stronger was released in the USA September 2022.

A Fraction Stronger Book

Mark Berridge's LinkedIn 

Mark Berridge's Personal Facebook Page 

Mark Berridge's Business Facebook Page 

Mark Berridge's Instagram Page 

Mark Berridge's Website 

Learning about her adoption at age 21 was quite impactful for Priya Subberwal, along with the lack of conversation that her adoptive parents had with her afterwards regarding her biological family. Today, I am honored to have Priya join the True Fiction Project, she is a long time friend of mine, and is a wonderful storyteller. We start the episode discussing her business, Disha Limited, where she helps people set their homes up for the best energy through Feng Shui work. She talks about how to utilize the evergreen elements of Feng Shui as well as what to prioritize for 2024. We then get to hear the story of how Priya found out she was adopted, and what that was like to find out as an adult. Priya reads an excerpt from her story, Masala Movie, in the book, My Voice about what she uncovered through the process of trying to find her biological parents and how she brought closure to herself. 

IN THIS EPISODE:

• [2:30] Priya explains what her business, Disha Limited, is. 
• [5:10] How does it work if your home has bad energy?
• [6:10] What does Priya mean about good Feng Shui in Hong Kong and San Francisco?
• [7:50] How does Priya work with people who are on more flat land who don’t have natural Feng Shui?
• [8:37] How does Feng Shui change across the years?
• [9:10] What does the year of the wood dragon mean for Feng Shui?
• [10:52] Priya describes her short story, Masala Movie, in the book, My Voice.
• [20:05] Priya shares an excerpt from her story, Masala Movie, in the book, My Voice, when she learned about her adoption. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• [6:13] Feng Shui is all about the wind and water, mountains play a very important role because they work as the antennas, it’s where the energy is stacked from the planets and then through wind it comes down and settles at the base of the water. 
• [9:37] For 2024, the year of the dragon, the best ways to benefit from Feng Shui are to utilize the Southwest of your home and the East. The Southwest is for happiness, advancement, promotion, and happy events. The East is for networking, finding leads, any kind of business work that is done in the home.
• [18:47] Priya decided to write about her journey of finding out she was adopted as an adult as a way to find closure after her parents had passed away. Her story is fantastic for those who have been adopted or for people who are considering adoption. 

Fiction Credits:

Story written by: Priya Subberwal

Story narrated by: Priya Subberwal

BIO:

Priya Subberwal is a qualified Classical Feng Shui practitioner. A trained interior designer, her interest in Chinese Metaphysics was sparked by a chance look through at a coffee table book on the subject in 2000. After extensive reading on the subject, she formally started studying in 2007 and applying it to her daily life. Friends and family too gained from her knowledge and fascination. Priya aims to bring focus and stability to the lives of others. In 2016 she formed the company 'Disha' which comes from the Sanskrit word ‘Dishadhara’ meaning direction - something that she strives to give her clients.

Priya is a yoga enthusiast and an avid reader. She lives in Hong Kong with her banker husband and a dog. She is a mother of two adult daughters, who love giving her unsolicited fashion and make-up advice. Interestingly, she previously co-owned a cricket team “Kowloon Cantons” in Hong Kong and has co- authored an Amazon bestseller novel #my voice -A collective memoir by women of substance.

Dishas Consulting Website 

Priya Subberwal's Instagram 

Priya Subberwal's Facebook 

Priya Subberwal's LinkedIn 

My Voice Book

What would it be like to experience a 26 mile dinner party? Today, on the True Fiction Project, I am joined by author and screenwriter, Daniel Finkel. Daniel shares with us his story Mr. Taffles Pants of Insanity, how it came about, and the adventure he has taken to write this story and get it out to the public. He talks about other screenplays he has written and what his next steps are for this adventurous story. Daniel discusses what it was like growing up in L.A. and Hollywood and how his experience may have differed from others. At the end of the show, we hear a chapter titled The Dinner Party from Mr. Taffles Pants of Insanity where the characters explore through a 26 mile long underground dinner party. Tune in to hear more of this insane story!

IN THIS EPISODE:

• [1:55] Daniel tells us about himself and how he is a Hollywood guy in the most non Hollywood of ways. 
• [3:39] What is Mr. Taffles Pants of Insanity and how did it come about?  
• [6:07] Why didn’t the screenplay end up being made into a movie as planned?
• [7:50] What screenplay did Daniel write that was made into a movie? 
• [8:50] What is the true life inspiration to Mr. Taffles Pants of Insanity? 
• [12:38] What is the book wrap tour?
• [14:39] What are the next steps for the story? 
• [16:28] Where can listeners find out more about Daniel’s work and events?
• [17:24] Daniel explains what his favorite part of the book is. 
• [19:45] We hear a chapter titled The Dinner Party from Mr. Taffles Pants of Insanity by Daniel Finkel about navigating a 26 mile underground dinner party. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• [9:03] Changing one thing about yourself can change the perception that others have of you. 
• [15:39] Never stop dreaming, your dreams can come true!
• [19:50] If you ever get a chance to go for a 26.2188 mile dinner party, you are in for quite an adventure! Grab Mr. Taffles Pants of Insanity to see what I mean! 

Check out HelloFresh and use my code truefictionprojectfree for a great deal: https://www.hellofresh.com/

Fiction Credits:

Story written by: Daniel Finkel

Story narrated by: Daniel Finkel

BIO:

I moved to LA to work in the entertainment industry, where I learned I didn't want to work in the entertainment industry. But I got to read screenplays by writers with big agents that were horrible. So I started to write my own screenplays that were also horrible. And it worked! I started to option and sell them… eventually selling the biggest piece of crap I ever wrote to MGM. But then my brain literally went on strike. I was supposed to write this script with a big time commercial producer and I literally couldn't think of anything. My brain forced me to write only ideas that I was passionate about. So I co-wrote and directed my first feature film Everything Will Happen Before You Die. The cast was amazing and I got to direct major league talent like Academy Award Nominee John Hawkes and Marc Boone Junior (Sons of Anarchy). It was a dream come true.

However, there's a big missing part of this story… MUSIC. It all started when my roommate asked me to be his vocal sidekick in this rave rock psychedelic lounge funk band called The Serotonins. The idea was I would be a cow and he would be the farmer. Well, he never dressed as a farmer, thus The Mad Cow was born. I became a bit of a counter-culture hero in the Burningman scene and played to packed clubs for years. 

And TODAY… I'm beyond excited to have published my award winning debut comedy/satire/sci-fi novel MR. TAFFLE'S PANTS OF INSANITY. It's an incredible feeling to have written my first book but even more of an incredible feeling to know that I'll be writing them for the rest of my life. And now we just released the audiobook which I couldn't be more excited about how it turned out. Oh and yes… the MUSIC. A couple of pals and I wrote an EP of songs based on the novel. I will be performing this at bookstores and weird stages all over North America (to start.)

Daniel Finkel's Personal Facebook Page

Daniel Finkel's Instagram

Trailer for the Audiobook 

Raised as an evangelical Christian, Bethel Swift started her dating journey late in life, after realizing that God was not going to drop the right guy in her lap. Throughout her three part book, Conversations with Good Men, Bethel shares poems of her experience as a daughter and then about her dating life. In this episode, you will hear what propelled Bethel to turn her personal experiences into a story, and what she found along the way. Bethel then reads two of her poems, the first called The Artist Takes Herself on a Date, which represents her journey of becoming a strong version of herself and the lessons she learned. The second poem, Potpourri Rain, is about her experience with sexual assault from someone close to her, which sent a chill down my spine. Tune in to learn more about Bethel’s dating journey

Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault

IN THIS EPISODE:

• [1:57] Bethel shares what her book Conversations with Good Men is about. 
• [4:02] What propelled Bethel to turn her own personal experience with dating into a story?
• [5:40] What did she find in her explorations?
• [9:35] Why did Bethel include conversations with her father in a book about dating? 
• [12:44] Bethel shares about the pieces she will be reading and where the stories came from. 
• [13:34] We hear Bethel’s first poem The Artist Takes Herself on a Date. 
• [16:50] Bethel shares her second poem Potpourri Rain. (Trigger Warning - Sexual Assault) 

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• [2:59] In order to find the love of your life, you have to actually go out on dates and spend time with people to find out what your deal breakers are and what things are really important to you. 
• [7:50] We cannot expect our lovers to be everything for us, it puts unrealistic and high pressure expectations on relationships.
• [16:08] Women will sometimes behave unexpectedly after an assault, like still being friends with the person or still trying to please that person. It can take days, months, years sometimes before women realize that the person did them wrong and that they don’t have to carry the blame. 

Check out HelloFresh and use my code truefictionprojectfree for a great deal: https://www.hellofresh.com/

Fiction Credits:

Poems written by: Bethel Swift

Poems narrated by: Bethel Swift

BIO:

Bethel Swift is a San Diego based artist, poet, indie publisher, workshop instructor, professional home organizer, and the author of Conversations with Good Men (2020, Swift & Sparrow Press). Bethel's poetry has been published in Armenian Poetry Project, Haiku Journal, San Diego Poetry Annual, and Expressions from Englewood as well as exhibited at Columbia College Chicago. In 2017, Bethel was the recipient of an AWP Writer to Writer Mentorship with poet Sandy Coomer (Available Light). Prior to that, she studied poetry under Kristina Marie Darling (Dark Horse) and Larry Sawyer (Vertigo Diary) at the Chicago School of Poetics and with Martha Vertreace-Doody (Glacier Fire) at Kennedy-King College. Bethel earned her degree in journalism from Columbia College Chicago (in 2007) and her journalistic features, interviews, reviews, and opinion pieces have appeared in multiple print and web publications.

Bethel Swift's Website 

Bethel Swift's Personal Facebook Page 

Bethel Swift's Business Facebook Page 

Bethel Swift's Twitter 

Bethel Swift's Instagram 

Bethel Swift's Pinterest 

Bethel Swift's LinkedIn 

Conversations with Good Men

Welcome back to another episode of the True Fiction Project Podcast. Today we feature Chef Avanish Martins. Avanish discusses how his restaurant, Cavatina, came to be and how he made the decision to focus on Goan cuisine. He discusses what “toddy trappers” are and why their skill is so essential to Goan food. Avinash describes how he tells stories through his cuisine and the beautiful way he ties the culture in by plating his food. We learn how the coconut and tree are used in the Goa Culture, and how Pader Pader Ponk Ponk was used to wake up the town. Toddy Trails the fiction piece from this episode takes us along the journey of a local baker who’s yeast has been ruined, risking a critical order he needed to fill. A friend encourages him to use toddy to replace the yeast, and after many attempts he nails down a successful recipe, only to have his rolls of bread stolen. Tune in to hear how the story ends!

IN THIS EPISODE:

• [2:38] Avinash introduces himself and talks about how he grew up.
• [3:34] How did Avinash’s restaurant, Cavatina, come to be?
• [6:03] What are “toddy tappers” and how does Avinash utilize it in his cooking?
• [11:28] Why does Feni get a bad rap? 
• [12:50] How does Avinash’s cuisine differ from other Goan cuisine that is found in other restaurants? 
• [13:46] What is a Chitari artist and how is their artwork represented on Avinash’s table? 
• [18:09] Where did the roots of Goan cuisine originate from? 
• [19:41] How can those of us outside of South Goa and India get to explore and experiment with Avinash's cuisine? 
• [22:31] Is there one particular kind of ingredient that you would say is quintessentially Goan that we don’t know about? 
• [24:58] What did Pader Pader Ponk Ponk represent? 
• [28:13] We hear the short story Toddy Tails written by Reenita Hora

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• [8:35] Toddy is at risk of not being harvested in Goa due to the next generation not wanting to work the dangerous job of harvesting toddy. If there is no toddy, the product doesn’t exist, you cannot make it with anything else. 
• [13:19] Avinash has experienced many parts of the world, and has decided that he will feature his Goan cuisine as Local Heart, Global Food. The food is genuine Goan good, with flair from other parts of the world. 
• [22:40] The most important ingredient in Goan cuisine would be coconut. Coconut in all forms is a versatile element in Goan cooking. There is nothing of the coconut that goes to waste including the tree itself. It can be used for rafters of a roof, the leaves make beautiful shade nets, the spikes can be used as brooms, the husk is used to make ropes, and more!

Check out HelloFresh and use my code truefictionprojectfree for a great deal: https://www.hellofresh.com/

Fiction Credits:

Excerpt written by: Reenita Hora

Excerpt narrated by using AI

BIO:

Chef Avinash Martins has got the humble Goan cuisine to an international level with farm to table practices and traditional cooking methods but presented it in a modern flair

Chef Avinash Martins' Instagram 

Chef Avinash Martins' Facebook 

Richard Sparks has been successful in so much of his work from writing The Schoolmaster, performed by Rowan Atkinson, to aiding an opera singer to launch her career. The one area he couldn’t seem to get into was fiction writing, until now that is. On today’s episode, I am so excited to have writer and author Richard Sparks on the show to discuss his prior pieces of work as well as his new fantasy novel! Richard shares what it was like to work with John Cleese, Rowan Atkinson, and others. At the end of the episode, we hear a clip from his new fantasy story, New Rock New Role that talks about a man who gets sucked into a video game and is trying to understand how he got there. This is Richard’s take on how it would feel to be a character in one of the games that he frequently plays. 

The clip we hear is from early on in the book and series, and there is more to come! Grab a free audio book chapter and ebook chapter or buy the full novel released December 12 on his website - www.richardsparks.com! 

IN THIS EPISODE:

• [1:37] Richard tells us about what he’s been doing and the work he’s done with John Cleese, Rowan Atkinson and others.
• [6:38] A clip from The Schoolmaster by Richard Sparks and Rowan Atkinson.
• [10:14] Richard tells us about his experience in the music industry. 
• [11:58] Richard shares about his new project, a fantasy, and how it was inspired from real life. 
• [19:45] A clip from New Rock New Role read and written by Richard Sparks. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Richard doesn’t take credit for launching people off into their careers, he says they are all a collaborative relationship, where both sides are needed to be successful. 
• Comedy is fear and pain and misery and disasters and things going wrong and people falling into puddles and betrayals and miscommunications and what good adventure isn't full of that.
• Richard struggled to become a fiction writer because he couldn’t connect with the content. He has now finally embraced fiction writing now that he can use his own voice.

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Fiction and Schoolmaster Credits:

Excerpt written by: Richard Sparks

Excerpt narrated by: Richard Sparks

Schoolmaster Clip performed by: Rowan Atkinson

Schoolmaster Clio written by Richard Sparks

BIO:

Born in England, and a graduate of Oxford University (Exeter College, where, like both JRR Tolkien and Philip Pullman before him, he read English), Richard started out as a writer of stage plays, comedy revues and TV, for such shows as Not the Nine o’clock News. Rowan Atkinson performed his Schoolmaster sketch in John Cleese’s The Secret Policeman’s Ball. UK TV credits include The Famous Five, The Flying Kiwi, The Optimist, The Worst of Hollywood, and a lot of script editing. On being hired by Columbia Pictures TV, Richard moved with his family to Los Angeles. His lyrics have been recorded by talents as diverse as Dom de Luise, Eric Idle, Vanessa Williams and Plácido Domingo. He has written libretti for several new operas composed by Lee Holdridge (TV’s Beauty and the Beast, et al.), produced by the LA Opera, as well writing new English versions of German and Italian classics. His non-fiction books, Diary of a Mad Poker Player, and its sequel, Getting Lucky, chronicle his adventures in the poker boom of the 2000’s. Along the Cherry Lane is his biography of the music producer, Milt Okun. “High Adventure Spiced with Low Comedy,” inspired by his love of online role-playing games, New Rock New Role is the first of four volumes Richard has written so far in the New Rock fantasy series, and is his fiction debut.

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