In this episode of Journey of the Art, I’m joined by poet, scholar, and renowned translator Radha Chakravarty for a powerful conversation on the crossroads between translation and literature, feminism in writing, and the inner work of creating across languages.

We explore Radha’s life as a multilingual writer in India, her deep relationship with Tagore’s work, and what it means to be a translator of emotion, memory, and resistance. From pandemic poetry to the importance of community, we unpack the responsibility—and courage—of those who carry words across borders.

If you care about women in literature, literary translation, and writing that honors both heritage and innovation, this episode is for you.

Show highlights

0:00 – Intro & guest introduction

2:48 – Growing up multilingual and her early inspiration.

5:58 – On the mental work of translation: Inhabiting another writer’s voice.

8:16 – Handling criticism in translation

10:28 – Writing with the echoes of great voices in your head.

13:44 – A distinguishing factor among the greats

16:02 – Radha reads from Subliminal

18:24 – Pandemic poetry & global connection

22:02 – Seeing with new eyes

24:40 – The disconnect between writers' intent and market realities.

30:20 – Translating women, teaching women’s literature, and confronting erasure.

35:29 – On Starlight: The cosmic humility behind poetry

42:12 – Final reflections & thoughts on retirement43:54 – A heartfelt close to one of the show’s most poetic conversations.

📚 About the guest:
Radha Chakravarty is a professor, poet, editor, and translator of over 23 books, including The Essential Tagore and Subliminal, a poetry collection named one of the best South Asian books of 2024.

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Guest’s links

Buy Subliminal: https://www.amazon.ca/Subliminal-poems-Radha-Chakravarty/dp/811985831X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=26GJBMTQNSY4E&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.6Ts5_6VwGqB5XNucDUxrmQ.3781xbWJzj9ZI1dY--72C6QuKWOoFHkYqMXyrlkdIe0&dib_tag=se&keywords=radha+chakravarty+subliminal&qid=1747826724&sprefix=radha+chakravarty+sublimina%2Caps%2C147&sr=8-1#detailBullets_feature_div

Connect with Radha on X: https://x.com/radhachakravar2

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Host’s links

Find out more about the show: https://www.journeyoftheart.com/

Follow Journey of the Art on Instagram: ⁠ https://www.instagram.com/journeyoftheartpod/

Book a one-on-one with Lola: https://wordcaps.com/coaching/