In almost 72 years, a New Delhi-based family-run bookstore, Bahrisons Booksellers, situated in Khan Market, the heart of the city, has grown into one of the most loved spaces for readers. Last week, it launched a podcast, The Reading List by Bahrisons Booksellers. The podcast promises to feature conversations with Indian authors whose books have been published in 2024 and 2025. We catch up with the host Aashna Malhotra, who reveals that the purpose of starting this was, “to celebrate Indian writing and the kind of stories that may not always make headlines but quietly shape how we read.”

Malhotra has been a podcast enthusiast since her undergraduate days. She tells us, “Podcasts became my favourite way to learn and keep up with current events. Last year, my father suggested we explore how a podcast could fit into what [our bookstore] already offers readers through author engagements.” This meant bringing two of her interests together: her love of the audio format of storytelling and of learning and meeting people. “It was also an opportunity to find my place in our family’s long relationship with books,” she adds.