What happens when a shy child, placed in reparative therapy, turns to poetry and discovers a voice that spans continents?
In this episode of Unstoppable Woman, Shailja Saraswati sits with Kiran Bhat, Indian American novelist, traveler, and polyglot, for a conversation that moves far beyond the visible writer’s journey. Together, they explore the inner shift from silence to expression, from alienation to connection, from boundaries to fluidity, and from survival to mission.
Kiran Bhat has lived in 177 countries, speaks multiple languages, and writes fiction that dissolves borders. His work, including the experimental global novel Hirad, reflects his mission of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam - one world, one family.
He speaks with striking honesty about growing up in Georgia, facing stigma, finding catharsis in poetry, embracing queer identity, and building a life rooted in both India and the world.
This episode is about:
- turning trauma into creative survival
- the mission of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam
- writing across cultures and languages
- how travel shapes empathy and imagination
- LGBTQ+ identity and freedom of expression
- seeing people without boundaries
What makes this conversation powerful is not just Kiran’s story, but the depth of inquiry itself. Shailja draws out the human transformation beneath the writer’s narrative - the part rarely discussed, but often most important.
If you are navigating identity, creativity, or global belonging, this episode may feel less like content and more like recognition.
Watch till the end for a moving reflection on the unstoppable spirit in writers and dreamers.
Chapters:
00:00: Intro – Boundaries, Freedom & Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam
01:09: One World, One Family – Mission & Philosophy
02:25: Childhood in Georgia – Feeling Different
04:28: Turning to Writing – Trauma & Poetry
05:59: Reparative Therapy – Finding Catharsis in Words
07:56: Travel Across 177 Countries – Mission & Lifestyle
09:06: Learning Languages – Connecting Through Culture
10:19: Writing the Global Novel – Hirad Experiment
13:20: Episodic Narratives – 365 Places, One Story
15:44: Observing Diversity – Customs & Commonalities
18:49: Writing as Survival – From Therapy to Meaning
19:49: Identity & Queerness – Diaspora and LGBTQ+ Lens
23:30: Activism & Public Spaces – Promoting LGBT Culture
24:30: Rooted Yet Branching – Living in India, Living Globally
25:06: Final Reflections – Freedom, Fluidity & Mission