Join me, Azka Rehman – an undergraduate at the University of Oxford (Jesus College) – and my guests as we traverse the winding threads of literature, unravelling and reweaving the various patterns that shape stories, one conversation at a time. Centred on raw, unfiltered conversation, Interwoven is a space for students, creatives and academics to discuss the enduring power of books and stories in an age that is increasingly shaped by anti-intellectualism, an age that demands justification for the very existence of the humanities. Here, overlooked and marginalised voices within the humanities are brought into the limelight.
This podcast is an invitation to slow down and ruminate on the various questions and themes that literature raises but refuses to neatly answer. Here, we linger in the textures, ambiguities and contradictions that leave edges frayed and knots twisted. Thoughts are allowed to wander and ideas are in a state of constant formation, often resisting tidy conclusions.
Together, we will follow wherever the intertwining threads of literature may lead.
Listen in every fortnight and join the conversation.
If you have a topic you want covered, feel free to email me at: interwovenwithazka@gmail.com. If you're enjoying the podcast, make sure to rate and review it!
Episode 9 - The Definer vs. The Defined: Reclaiming South-Asian Narratives (A Conversation with Ravista Mehra, Founder of South Asian Salon)
Toni Morrison once wrote that ‘definitions belong to the definers, not the defined’. Who has the privilege to define, to attribute meaning and to prescribe the boundaries of this meaning? What stories lie beyond the edges of cropped photos and edited narratives? And what does it mean to tell a story for a ‘majority audience’ when the very definition of the ‘majority’ is a product of colonisation? In this episode, I am joined by Ravista Mehra to unpick the tangled relationship between d...
29 Jun 2026
Episode 8 - The 'Global' Middle Ages: A Conversation with Dr Shazia Jagot
How can the study of the 'Global' Middle Ages decentre traditionally Eurocentric frameworks of medieval studies? And how do we even define the 'Global' in 'Global Middle Ages'? In this episode, I unpack these questions with Dr Shazia Jagot, a Senior Lecturer in Medieval and Global Literature at the University of York. We discuss how the study of cross-cultural influence and transmission can untether the study of the medieval world from traditionally European and English perspectives. Dr...
14 Jun 2026
Episode 7 - Where's Your P.G. Wodehouse?: A Conversation with Laura Moulton (Founder of Street Books)
What happens when you put a library on wheels? And how is it that a mobile library can change the way we perceive who literature is meant to be written 'for'? In this episode, I am joined by Laura Moulton who is a writer, educator and the founder of the non-profit organisation, Street Books. Street Books is a mobile library that provides books to marginalised and unhoused communities at the outskirts of Portland, Oregon. Alongside Ben Hodgson, she is the co-writer of a memoir, 'Loaner...
30 May 2026
Episode 6 - Hawaiian and the Challenge of Language Revitalisation: A Conversation with Dr. Keao NeSmith
What can the parallels between Pele, the deity of volcanoes and fire, and Alice from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland reveal about the task of translating from English to Hawaiian? Can exact equivalence between the source and target language ever actually be attained? And should equivalence even be an aim when translating? This week, I'm joined by Dr. Keao NeSmith to unpick the complexities that come with translation and language revitalisation. Dr. NeSmith works as a translator, lingui...
21 May 2026
Episode 5 - Woven and Rewoven: Creative Criticism and the Medieval World (A Conversation with Ella O'Shea, Issi Marklew and Libby Histed)
What does a napkin have to do with the modern-day reception of medieval literature? How is it that Rosalia's album 'Lux' invites new interpretative possibilities for the study of female mystics? And how does Shrek fit into all of this? In this episode, I am joined by Libby, Ella and Issi (the genius behind my intro and outro music) as we unpack the powerful ways that creative criticism can challenge and extend our understanding of medieval literature. We talk about how creative criticism dest...
14 Apr 2026
Episode 3 - Literature and Leadership: A Conversation with the Oxford Future Leaders Programme Team
This week's episode is inspired by my experience as a participant in the University of Oxford's Future Leaders Programme where I have taken part in various character-based training sessions and cultivated my leadership skills. I am joined by the facilitators of the Programme: Angela Unsworth (the Director of Accommodation, Conferences and Catering at Jesus College), Neil Unsworth (Head of Resilience at Oxford), Anjali Sarkar (Senior Manager at the Oxford Character Project) and Edward ...
14 Apr 2026
Episode 4 - Beyond the Western Canon: A Conversation with Faisal Javid and Eliza Kaminska-Benadat
How is it that lines from Omar Khayyam's poetry wind up in the pockets of World War I soldiers? And how far can literary and historical theories help us explain this extraordinary moment of cross-cultural contact? In this episode, I am joined by Faisal Javid (an Ertegun Scholar studying a Masters in Comparative Literature at the University of Oxford) and Eliza Kaminska-Benadat (a second-year History undergraduate at Oxford) to unravel the nuances of such questions. We consider the way...
31 Mar 2026
Episode 2 - Seeing the World Through a Child's Eyes: A Conversation with Emma Boor
Inspired by the TORCH event, 'Reading Choices in Young and SEND Children: A Conversation,' this episode explores how accessible forms of theatre, puppetry and performance can spark children’s interest in reading and storytelling. I’m joined by Emma Boor, Creative Director of Wild Boor Ideas, to discuss the visceral responses that theatre often invites. We explore how interactive, sensory-based approaches can make theatre more accessible and enjoyable for SEND audiences. The immediacy ...
29 Mar 2026
Episode 1 - The Craft of Comics: A Conversation with Sam Hart and Anvita Kopparthi
What can comic books achieve that no other storytelling medium can? In this episode, I’m joined by comic book artist and writer, Sam Hart, and Oxford English undergraduate, Anvita Kopparthi (the most avid reader of comics I know!), to unpick the intricacies that underpin graphic novels. Sam is based in London and has worked on a broad range of comics, varying from Joan of Arc to The Coldest City, which was turned into the movie, Atomic Blonde. He is currently working on the serie...
14 Mar 2026
Welcome to Interwoven!
Welcome to Interwoven, a podcast where we follow the winding threads of literature, as they weave together stories and voices across time and cultures. In this episode, I share the inspiration that led to the creation of Interwoven. I talk about the vision and purpose that lie at the very heart of every conversation to come. Music credits go to Isobel (Issi) Marklew.
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