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Draft:Suchandrika Chakrabarti

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Suchandrika Chakrabarti [pronunciation.[1]] (born 1983[2]) is a British writer and broadcaster. She is known for her work in stand-up comedy, podcasting, and writing for television and radio. Her work explores modern digital life, social media, and personal experiences with themes such as grief, memory, and identity. As a journalist, she has covered politics, celebrity and news for UK national newspapers and websites. As a comedian and comedy writer, Chakrabarti has performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe[3] and writes for Have I Got News For You on BBC One and for Radio 4.[4] As a podcaster, she made the hit podcast Black Mirror Cracked, which reached Number 2 on iTunes and remained in the 'Bingeworthy' category for four months, hitting 20,000 listens in its first week[5]

Early Life

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Chakrabarti was born in London to Bengali Hindu parents from Kolkata, India.[6] She was educated at Forest School in London, and at Somerville College, Oxford, where she read English.[7] Chakrabarti's mother died when she was 16, ad her father when she was 19, leaving her orphaned.[8][9] Chakrabarti has one brother.

Career

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Journalism

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Chakrabarti has worked as a journalist and media trainer for The Guardian,[10] Associated Press, and the Daily Mirror.[11] She often worked on the politics desk at the Mirror, covering the Junior Doctors' Strike in January 2016,[12] the fallout from the Brexit vote and Donald Trump's election as US President. As a freelancer, she has contributed to various publications including The Times, Prospect Magazine[13] and New Statesman.[14]

Her work spans a range of topics, from news reporting to celebrity interviews with public figures such as actor Natalie Dormer, writer and showrunner Charlie Brooker and radio presenter Lauren Laverne.[15]

Chakrabarti's interview with Dormer for New Statesman included Dormer's reflections on onscreen nudity: "You couldn't make The Tudors now, exploit the female body like that. When I took [that role], I was 24 and just grateful to be on set. I didn't know I could query things, say if I felt uncomfortable. Now, I have some profile and influence on a project." The article also contained the first public mention of the end of Dormer's relationship with director Anthony Byrne.[16]

Chakrabarti interviewed Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker a number of times for New Statesman,[17][18][19] the Daily Mirror[20] and on the Black Mirror Cracked[21] and Freelance Pod podcasts,[22] both of which Chakrabarti hosted and Brooker appeared on as a guest. In a New Statesman interview with Chakrabarti, Brooker revealed how his young children responded to having an Alexa at home: "Brooker's not saying if he's got a smartspeaker-themed episode in the next season of Black Mirror, but he does expand on how having an Alexa, Amazon's virtual assistant, has affected his kids (sons Covey, six and Huxley, four): 'They immediately took to this thing like a duck to water... because they're cleverer than me'".[17]

Several of Chakrabarti's interviews and articles have been quoted or referenced in multiple existing Wikipedia entries, reflecting the broader influence of her work in public knowledge. She is also a judge for the British Journalism Awards.[23]

Comedy

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Chakrabarti was a semi-finalist in the Funny Women Stage Award 2020,[24] after which she was named a "One to Watch"[25] by the organization. In the same year, she was a finalist in the British Comedy Guide Pro Performance Awards.[26] She debuted at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2022 with her comedy show I Miss Amy Winehouse,[27][28] which originally started out a a novel.[29] According to a review in Binge Fringe Magazine, the show was noted for its storytelling elements blended with stand-up comedy.[30]

In 2024, she performed her second comedy show, Doomscrolling, at the Edinburgh Fringe, exploring the impact of social media and news consumption on mental health, and how she explains the world to her five-year-old niece.[31] The show is transferring to London as part of Pleasance Islington's Best of Edinburgh 2024 season.[32]

Chakrabarti began writing for Radio 4 in September 2020, contributing to The News Quiz and The Now Show.[33] Since March 2023, Chakrabarti has written for the BBC One topical comedy show Have I Got News For You.

Radio and Podcasts

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While working at the Daily Mirror, Chakrabarti launched her first podcast, Black Mirror Cracked,[34] which went live on 29 December 2017, the same day as the fourth season of the Netflix series. The podcast reached Number 2 on iTunes and remained in the 'Bingeworthy' category for four months, garnering 20,000 listens in its first week.[35]

Chakrabarti hosted Black Mirror Cracked from its launch in November 2017, until she left the Daily Mirror in April 2018.[36] She interviewed a number of well-known figures on the podcast, including: actor Douglas Hodge on his role in the episode Black Museum[37]; actor Wyatt Russell on his role in Playtest[38]; and actor Milanka Brooks on her role in USS Callister.[39]

Chakrabarti launched Freelance Pod[40] in 2018, interviewing guests about freelancing, digital media, and creative careers. The podcast ran until 2021. Guests included Charlie Brooker, video games curator Marie Foulston and former BBC journalist Sue Llewellyn. Chakrabarti then brought a live recording of the show to the London Podcast Festival 2019,[41] interviewing Syrian refugee, writer, and academic Abdul Tahhan.

Chakrabarti co-hosted the comedy discussion podcast But Is It Funny?[42] in 2021-2022, alongside The Guardian's comedy critic Brian Logan[43] and Amsterdam-based improviser Jamal Khadar.[44]

In 2022, she launched the limited-series podcast We Miss Amy Winehouse.[45] In a review for The Observer, Miranda Sawyer described the podcast as featuring "an engaging audio presence" from Chakrabarti, noting her emotional reactions, though finding the analysis "a little woolly." Sawyer praised the inclusion of full music tracks, calling it "an utter joy.".[46]

Chakrabarti is a regular panellist on the award-winning podcast The Week Unwrapped with Olly Mann,[47] and has appeared on a number of other podcasts, including Paper Cuts,[48] Drunk Women Solving Crime,[49] and The Prospect Podcast.[50]

She has made numerous appearances as a guest on BBC Radio,[51] and co-hosted Podcast Radio Hour on BBC Radio 4 Extra.[52]

Writing

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Chakrabarti writes across fiction and creative non-fiction across various formats. She contributed the chapter 'Cover Versions, Cover Stories' to the 2022 re-issue of the anthology The Colour of Madness[53], edited by Dr Samara Linton and Dr Rianna Walcott. The book is a collection of stories on race and mental health in the UK.

Chakrabarti's short story 'Those Paper Boats' was published by Dirt newsletter for their June 2024 Fiction Week.[54]

Chakrabarti's poem 'happy birthday'[55] was shortlisted for the Happiful Poetry Prize 2024.[56] She has been chosen for the Southbank New Poets Collective[57] 24/25, led by poets Vanessa Kisuule and Will Harris.

Chakrabarti's script Hologram Dad was a Quarterfinalist in the Female Script Club Call Out 2024.[58]

References

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  1. ^ https://namedrop.io/suchandrikachakrabarti
  2. ^ Chakrabarti‎, ‎Suchandrika (2021-05-22). "Since losing my parents, I've learnt that grief never truly disappears". Metro. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
  3. ^ Bennett, Steve. "Doing half the Fringe? It's the way forward : Correspondents 2024 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide". www.chortle.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
  4. ^ Guide, British Comedy. "Suchandrika Chakrabarti". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 2024-09-16.
  5. ^ Agency, Corinne Podger-Director, Digital Skills (2018-04-27). "How mojo thinking scored Trinity Mirror a top-shelf podcast". Digital Content Next. Retrieved 2024-10-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ "My Hometown: Hornchurch, UK". Popula. 2019-03-25. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
  7. ^ "Comedian who won't be mean to other people". www.henleystandard.co.uk. 4 March 2024. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
  8. ^ Chakrabarti, Suchandrika. "In a WhatsApp group for orphans, a group of strangers helped me finally understand my grief". www.prospectmagazine.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  9. ^ Chakrabarti, Suchandrika. "The #MeAt20 challenge is trending—but I remember my twenties as an time of grief". www.prospectmagazine.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  10. ^ "Where's the best place to buy school uniform?". The Guardian. 2006-09-04. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
  11. ^ "The Mirror: The Heart of Britain". The Mirror. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
  12. ^ Chakrabarti, Suchandrika (2016-01-12). "Junior doctors tell us why they're striking today". The Mirror. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
  13. ^ "Suchandrika Chakrabarti - Prospect Magazine". www.prospectmagazine.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
  14. ^ "Suchandrika Chakrabarti". New Statesman. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
  15. ^ Chakrabarti, Suchandrika (2019-01-28). ""It's perfect, just as it is": Lauren Laverne takes the reins of Desert Island Discs". New Statesman. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
  16. ^ Chakrabarti, Suchandrika (2018-11-21). ""I've been burnt so many times": actress Natalie Dormer on sex, lies and being misquoted". New Statesman. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
  17. ^ a b Chakrabarti, Suchandrika (2019-01-10). "Black Mirror's Charlie Brooker on using Bandersnatch for politics: "That's the fantasy, isn't it?"". New Statesman. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
  18. ^ Chakrabarti, Suchandrika (2019-05-29). ""For civilisation, it's a bit depressing": Charlie Brooker on Black Mirror's relevance". New Statesman. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
  19. ^ Chakrabarti, Suchandrika (2019-06-05). "Charlie Brooker: "Everything's gone a bit Black Mirror – but it's free publicity for us"". New Statesman. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
  20. ^ Chakrabarti, Suchandrika (2018-01-19). "Black Mirror's Charlie Brooker on how his kids reacted to seeing 'what dad does'". The Mirror. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
  21. ^ Exclusive Season 4 interview with Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones, 2017-12-29, retrieved 2024-09-17
  22. ^ Suchandrika (2018-12-27). Inside Black Mirror interview with Charlie Brooker. Retrieved 2024-09-17 – via YouTube.
  23. ^ "Judges – British Journalism Awards". Retrieved 2024-09-17.
  24. ^ "Stage Award Semi-Finalists 2020". Funny Women. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
  25. ^ Women, Funny (2024-08-07). "Q&A: Suchandrika Chakrabarti, Doomscrolling". Funny Women. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
  26. ^ British Comedy Guide (2021-10-15). Suchandrika Chakrabarti at BCG Pro 2020 final. Retrieved 2024-09-17 – via YouTube.
  27. ^ Guide, British Comedy. "I Miss Amy Winehouse". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
  28. ^ Hamed, Assiah (2022-08-10). "Comedian wants to change the narrative around Amy Winehouse". Bristol Live. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  29. ^ Newsdesk (2022-04-30). "I Miss Amy Winehouse: a story about grief and growing up". South West Londoner. Retrieved 2024-10-18.
  30. ^ "REVIEW: I Miss Amy Winehouse, Suchandrika Chakrabarti, EdFringe 2022 ★★★☆☆ – Binge Fringe Magazine". Retrieved 2024-09-16.
  31. ^ "Interview: Suchandrika Chakrabarti – The Wee Review | Scotland's arts and culture magazine". 2024-06-26. Retrieved 2024-09-16.
  32. ^ "Pleasance London Announces Best Of Edinburgh Season". Beyond The Joke. 2024-09-26. Retrieved 2024-10-08.
  33. ^ Guide, British Comedy. "Suchandrika Chakrabarti". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
  34. ^ "A tool to connect podcasts with their listeners". podfollow.
  35. ^ Podger, Corinne (2018-04-27). "How mojo thinking scored Trinity Mirror a top-shelf podcast". Digital Content Next. Retrieved 2024-09-16.
  36. ^ ResponseSource. "Suchandrika Chakrabarti to leave the Daily Mirror". ResponseSource. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
  37. ^ Black Museum's Douglas Hodge says Charlie Brooker's a dangerous writer, 2018-02-16, retrieved 2024-09-17
  38. ^ Wyatt Russell talks Playtest, 2018-05-04, retrieved 2024-09-17
  39. ^ USS Callister's Milanka Brooks on explaining herself to Jodie Foster, 2018-03-02, retrieved 2024-09-17
  40. ^ "Freelance Pod | Podfollow".
  41. ^ "Freelance Pod • Words • Kings Place". Kings Place. 2024-09-19. Retrieved 2024-09-16.
  42. ^ "But Is It Funny?". podfollow.
  43. ^ "Brian Logan | The Guardian". www.theguardian.com. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
  44. ^ Almir (2022-07-26). "But Is It Funny? Edinburgh Fringe Edition". Counterpoints. Retrieved 2024-09-16.
  45. ^ "We Miss Amy Winehouse". Spotify.
  46. ^ Sawyer, Miranda (2022-07-30). "The week in audio: British Podcast Awards 2022; Media Storm; Decode; Songbook and more". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-09-16.
  47. ^ updated, The Week Staff last (2023-11-19). "The Week Unwrapped: Butt lifts, ransoms and Argentina's right turn". theweek. Retrieved 2024-09-16.
  48. ^ "Record Breaker Rishi, Money Mayhem – Plus, Boring Belgium Blasted". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 2024-09-16.
  49. ^ 197 DWSC LIVE: With Suchandrika Chakrabarti | Drunk Women Solving Crime. 2022-07-13. Retrieved 2024-09-16 – via shows.acast.com.
  50. ^ Team, Prospect. "The Prospect Interview #115: Grief in the age of the Internet". www.prospectmagazine.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-09-16.
  51. ^ "BBC Radio London - Jo Good, Doomscrolling and community gardening". BBC. Retrieved 2024-09-16.
  52. ^ "BBC Radio 4 Extra - Podcast Radio Hour, TV Companion Podcasts". BBC. Retrieved 2024-09-16.
  53. ^ Linton, Samara; Walcott, Rianna (2022-05-12). The Colour of Madness: 65 Writers Reflect on Race and Mental Health. Pan Macmillan. ISBN 978-1-5290-8850-2.
  54. ^ Chakrabarti, Suchandrika (2024-06-24). "Those Paper Boats". The Dirtyverse. Retrieved 2024-10-08.
  55. ^ Wheeler, Kathryn (2024-09-02). "Runner-up: Suchandrika Chakrabarti on exploring grief in poetry". Happiful Magazine. Retrieved 2024-10-08.
  56. ^ Wheeler, Kathryn (2024-08-14). "The Happiful Poetry Prize 2024: Celebrating the winning and shortlisted poets". Happiful Magazine. Retrieved 2024-10-08.
  57. ^ "New Poets Collective". Retrieved 10-15-24. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  58. ^ "2024 SCRIPT CALL". FemalePilotClub. Retrieved 2024-10-08.
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