24. Novels and Writers are Here to Stay

Bestselling author Chetan Bhagat talks to Journalist Shrabonti Bagchi about the COVID-19 pandemic, his reactions to it as a writer, and about the future of books and publishing beyond 2020.

This is the first podcast in a new WorldLit series, a collaboration between the Bangalore Literature Festival and the Bangalore International Centre. The BIC-BLF WorldLit series will feature podcast episodes here on BIC Talks, and live events on BIC Streams.

In this episode of BIC Talks, Chetan Bhagat talks to Shrabonti Bagchi about his reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic and the ways in which it is changing the world around us. How does the life of a successful writer change during a pandemic, and how are the current and long-term impacts of the pandemic influence fiction? What is the future of publishing, literature festivals, book launches, and books and entertainment in general?

Chetan Bhagat is the author of eight novels and three non-fiction books, most recently, The Girl in Room 105 (Westland 2018) and India Positive (Westland 2019). Shrabonti Bagchi is a journalist based in Bangalore, and currently the National Features Editor at Mint.

BIC Talks is brought to you by the Bangalore International Centre. Visit the BIC website for show notes, links and more information about the guest.