From Silence to Global Voice | Kiran Bhat on Writing, Travel and One World

About this episode

Kiran Bhat shares his transformative journey from silence to global voice through poetry, travel, and identity exploration.

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…

People in this episode

Host: Shailja Saraswati

Guest: Kiran Bhat

Topics covered

• identity
• creativity
• global belonging
• LGBTQ+ identity
• travel
• poetry

Keywords

• poetry
• travel
• identity
• LGBTQ+
• global voice
• creativity
• cultural expression

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam

Books & works: Hirad

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