Zubaani: South-Asian Parenting Tips and Storytelling

Zubaani speaks to award-winning children's writer, Rukhsana Khan about her life as a writer when few desi books were available. Khan shares her personal griefs, journeys, challenges, and why she continues to tell stories.

Guest: Rukhsana Khan

Co-hosts: Upasna Kakroo & Salma Hussain

Produced by: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Peerbagh⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Supported by: The podcast episode programming is supported in part by a Elevate Grant of Austin Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment and Millennium India Education Foundation.

Books/media in this episode:

• Wanting Mor (Rukhsana Khan)
• The Big Red Lollipop (Rukhsana Khan)
• Honk Honk, Beep Beep, Putter Putt! (Rukhsana Khan)
• Biksu (Varun Grover)
• Amar Akbar Anthony (Manmohan Desai)
• Temporary People (Deepak Unnikrishnan)

Zubaani speaks to doctor and YA writer, Ahmad Saber on the challenges and joys of writing his debut book. Saber talks about literary tools to showcase a whole spectrum of desi experiences, coming out experiences of a South-Asian teen, and the yo-yo effect of progress.

Guest: Ahmad Saber

Co-hosts: Upasna Kakroo & Salma Hussain

Produced by: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Peerbagh⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Supported by: The podcast episode programming is supported in part by a Elevate Grant of Austin Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment and Millennium India Education Foundation.

Books/media in this episode:

• Ramin Abbas Has Major Questions (Ahmad Saber)
• Reasons We Break (Jesmeen Kaur Deo)
• A Show For Two (Tashie Bhuiyan)
• American Fever (Dur e Aziz Amna)
• Love Simon (Becky Albertalli)
• God's Own Country (Francis Lee)

Zubaani speaks to award-winning children's writer, Meera Sriram on her life as an engineer-turned-writer. The episode discusses the challenges, aches, and hopes of immigrant lives and writing.

Guest: Meera Sriram

Co-hosts: Upasna Kakroo & Salma Hussain

Produced by: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Peerbagh⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Supported by: The podcast episode programming is supported in part by a Elevate Grant of Austin Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment and Millennium India Education Foundation.

Books/media in this episode:

• The Yellow Suitcase (Meera Sriram)
• Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (Aditya Chopra)
• Gift for Amma (Meera Sriram)
• Fly in the Chai (Zenia Wadhwani)
• Namaste Santa (Rahul Chaturvedi)

Zubaani speaks to Canadian-Fijian YA writer, Nafiza Azad on building immersive characters and settings, deeply embedded in South Asian ethos and multicultural worlds. The hosts talk about books that speak to the varied castes, classes, within the diaspora and the subcontinent.

Guest: Nafiza Azad

Co-hosts: Upasna Kakroo & Salma Hussain

Produced by: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Peerbagh⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Supported by: The podcast episode programming is supported in part by a Elevate Grant of Austin Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment and Millennium India Education Foundation.

Books/media in this episode:

• Prakash Manu ki Kahaniya/Nandan (Prakash Manu)
• Kafan (Premchand)
• The Candle and the Flame (Nafiza Azad)
• The Wild Ones (Nafiza Azad)
• Short stories by Vandana Singh
• A Thousand Questions (Saadia Faruqi)
• After the Rain (Nafiza Azad)
• A Thousand Nights (Nafiza Azad)

Zubaani speaks to actor, professor, and award-winning narrator with 500+ audiobooks, Vikas Adam on life as a professional code-switcher. Adam talks about the role of audio narration in bringing authentic representation to storytelling.

Guidance: This episode is not suitable for young kids. It's meant for parents, educators, writers.

Guest: Vikas Adam

Co-hosts: Upasna Kakroo & Salma Hussain

Produced by: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Peerbagh⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Supported by: The podcast episode programming is supported in part by a Elevate Grant of Austin Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment and Millennium India Education Foundation. Books/media in this episode:

• Ramin Abbas Has Major Questions (Ahmad Saber)
• Dating Dr. Dil (Nisha Sharma)
• Darius the Great is Not Okay (Adib Khorram)
• Bread Winner (Deborah Ellis)
• In Other Words (Jhumpa Lahiri)
• Same, Same but Different (Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw)
• Cross the Line (Simone Soltani)
• Interview with the Vampire (Ann Rice)

Michigan-raised historian Dr. Shah Mahmoud Hanifi, talks to Peerbagh about his diasporic experiences as a child of immigrants from two cultures. He talks about his approach of writing on Afghanistan's history through motifs like elephants and water. Dr. Hanifi's essay, Water in Afghanistan, was adapted for Bento children's magazine in April 2026.

This mid-season drop of Zubaani celebrates the AAPI heritage month (May) as we interview various artists from the South-Asian diaspora.

Guest: Dr. Shah Mahmoud Hanifi

Host: Upasna Kakroo

Produced by: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Peerbagh⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This episode is produced in part with the global youth grant from the Michigan Communities Service Commission.

Michigan-based Suja Sukumar, talks to Peerbagh about the journey of her as an immigrant, doctor, and writer. Suja's debut YA book, When Mimi Went Missing was released in 2024.

This mid-season drop of Zubaani celebrates the AAPI heritage month (May) as we interview various artists from the South-Asian diaspora.

Guest author: Suja Sukumar

Host: Upasna Kakroo

Produced by: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Peerbagh⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This episode is produced in part with the global youth grant from the Michigan Communities Service Commission.

The National Storytelling Network (NSN) celebrates 50 years in 2026. We sat down for a conversation with the board chair, Rishi Nixon about his personal journey of storytelling and the impact of AI on the artform. We also spoke about the role NSN plays in mentorship, craft development, and NSN's upcoming annual storytelling conference in West Texas.

This mid-season drop of Zubaani celebrates the AAPI heritage month (May) as we interview various artists from the South-Asian diaspora.

Guest : Rishi Nixon, Board Chair, National Storytelling Network

Host: Upasna Kakroo

Produced by: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Peerbagh⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This episode is produced in part with a grant from the National Storytelling Network.

We are celebrating the International Mother Tongue Day and dropping a few episodes talking to poets and writers of Hindustani (Hindi/Urdu) language. This mid-season drop has episodes recorded bilingually in Hindi/Urdu and English.

Guest author: Abhishek Shukla

Host: Upasna Kakroo

Produced by: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Peerbagh⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Episode cover art: Ira Nagar

Books/media in the episode:

• Harf-e-awara by Abhishek Shukla
• Mujh Ko Meri Yaad Aa Rahi Hai by Farhat Ehsas
• Kulliaat by Mir Taqi Mir
• Hansti Shabnam Rote Phool by Ajiz Matwi

We are celebrating the International Mother Tongue Day and dropping a few episodes talking to poets and writers of Hindustani (Hindi/Urdu) language. This mid-season drop has episodes recorded bilingually in Hindi/Urdu and English.

Guest author: Aamir Azher Khan

Host: Upasna Kakroo

Produced by: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Peerbagh⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Episode cover art: Ira Nagar

Books/media in the episode:

• Delhi Ki Aakhri Shamah by Mirza Farhatullah Beg
• The Broken Spell by Dr. Pasha Khan