Private Passions

Preti Taneja


Listen Later

Michael Berkeley talks to the writer Preti Taneja about her wide-ranging love of music, from Indian gazals and ragas to Vivaldi and Shostakovich.

Preti Taneja’s debut novel We That Are Young won last year’s Desmond Elliott prize and huge critical acclaim, after being rejected as ‘commercially unviable’ by multiple publishers in both London and Delhi.

It’s a reworking of King Lear, set in contemporary India, and tells the story of a battle for power within a rich and turbulent Delhi family.

Before she found success as a novelist Preti worked as a journalist, as a human rights campaigner, and as a teacher of writing in places as diverse as universities, prisons, youth charities and refugee camps - and she chooses a song by Ilham al Madfai that reminds her of working in Jordan with minority communities who had fled the war in Iraq.

Preti talks about the music that reminds her of childhood holidays in Delhi, how she uses music in her writing, and why King Lear resonates so clearly in the India of today.

A Loftus production for BBC Radio 3, produced by Jane Greenwood.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Private PassionsBy BBC Radio 3

  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4

4.4

33 ratings


More shows like Private Passions

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,595 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,055 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,459 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,803 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,750 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,042 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

2,090 Listeners

Desert Island Discs by BBC Radio 4

Desert Island Discs

1,978 Listeners

Great Lives by BBC Radio 4

Great Lives

477 Listeners

Profile by BBC Radio 4

Profile

106 Listeners

Last Word by BBC Radio 4

Last Word

45 Listeners

Front Row by BBC Radio 4

Front Row

131 Listeners

Bookclub by BBC Radio 4

Bookclub

243 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,193 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

723 Listeners

Cyber Hack by BBC World Service

Cyber Hack

1,609 Listeners

Add to Playlist by BBC Radio 4

Add to Playlist

33 Listeners

This Cultural Life by BBC Radio 4

This Cultural Life

83 Listeners

Young Again by BBC Radio 4

Young Again

48 Listeners

Off Air with Jane & Fi by The Times

Off Air with Jane & Fi

158 Listeners

Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth by Gyles Brandreth / Plain Jaine Media

Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth

484 Listeners

Desert Island Discs: Archive: 2016-2018 by BBC Radio 4

Desert Island Discs: Archive: 2016-2018

27 Listeners

Radical with Amol Rajan by BBC Radio 4

Radical with Amol Rajan

52 Listeners

A Good Read by BBC Radio 4

A Good Read

42 Listeners

ill-advised by Bill Nighy by EYEPOD Studios

ill-advised by Bill Nighy

483 Listeners