Before becoming a No. 1 New York Times bestselling author, and one of the most widely read poets on Instagram, Nikita worked as a cleaner and carer while sharing her poetry online. She moved from New Delhi to Britain in her early twenties to study for a master's degree at the University for the Creative Arts, and felt she ‘disappointed’ her parents and faced repeated rejection and misogyny in the process.
In this episode, she tells Elizabeth about her unusual childhood at sea, growing up in places marked by contested borders, where bomb scares at school felt routine, and the many obstacles she faced throughout her career. She also reflects on the power of poetry to connect us, why myths still resonate today and how writing became both a form of resistance and survival.
IN THIS EPISODE:
00:00 Introduction
03:10 Archivist Heart
04:33 Unheard Voices
07:10 Borders Bomb Scares
09:49 Childhood
11:30 Mythical Power
13:52 Rejection To Breakthrough
25:51 Success Highs and Lows
26:31 Rejection as Return
27:45 Dating and Being Returned
28:11 BuzzFeed Fame Backlash
33:36 Shame and Misogyny Online
34:51 Surviving Internet Pile Ons
39:16 Chronic Pain Finally Named
48:34 Family Grief and Goodbye
LINKS + MENTIONS:
Nikita’s new book, Styx: The River is out this Autumn: www.simonandschuster.co.uk/books/Styx-The-River/Nikita-Gill/9781398537194
Join the How To Fail community: www.howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content
Elizabeth’s Substack: www.theelizabethday.substack.com
WANT MORE?
Michael Rosen - swap.fm/l/TCjvDZaxrZsq4iZRCccm
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