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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