Lockdown Diaries Bilal Qureshi

A lot has been written about the political, economic and even artistic impact of the Coronavirus pandemic but what about the spiritual dimension of this time? This Ramadan chapter of 'Lockdown Diaries' is a conversation with historian Ali Khan Mahmudabad about philosophy, faith, and the Islamic poetry that transcends time, and darkness.

As many return to old photographs for consolation, the artist Dayanita Singh reflects on the creative possibilities of our personal archives. In a call from her desk in New Delhi, a conversation with the acclaimed photographer about the future of the ‘art world,’ the cruelty of India’s lockdown, and taking the time to observe the beauty of the day’s light in one’s own home.

Which touchstones and forgotten chapters of our biographies are held in our private libraries? Clemmie Jackson-Stops curates personal libraries as the founder of Vellum Libraries. In a post-bedtime call after putting her children to sleep, an intimate conversation from the English countryside about the gifts of reading, lockdown motherhood, and the enduring magic of ‘The English Patient.’

A virtual sit-down with British actor and musician Riz Ahmed about the role of artists and culture in this moment. From the underlying conditions unmasked by the pandemic to the creative burden of otherness, a personal and searching conversation inspired by Riz's latest EP, "The Long Goodbye."

Tucked between the folds of the daily news of expanding cases and pandemic politics - are the pages of more private losses: the mundane moments once taken for granted, the fragrance of a friend’s home at midnight. For the second chapter of “Lockdown Diaries,” an intimate conversation with perfumer and novelist Tanaïs about poetry and perfume as antidote.

For the inaugural episode of Bilal Qureshi's radio diaries,, a conversation with and an original reading by writer Arundhati Roy from her essay "The Pandemic is a Portal."