Nila Varman: The Joyful Activist

Light Work by Dear Patriarchy

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Welcome to the ninth episode of series 4, where we’re focusing on the educators, activists, and influencers who inspire and guide us.

In this week’s episode, Lisa chats to the fabulous Nila Varman, host of the Nila Extract, an award winning radio show and educational platform that amplifies the voices of those from minority ethnic communities, dispels stereotypes and navigates socially pressing issues that are not spoken about enough. Nila has won many awards for her work, including a Diana award, Frontline 50 award, and SRA & BBC Award for Best Student Radio Presenter.

We dive right into how Nila’s journey into activism was accelerated by the surge in global awareness of social justice issues at the start of the pandemic. Nila shares how, as a “British Tamil gal”, clearly seeing the everyday racism directed towards Tamil and South Indian communities, as well as occurring inside them, made her eager to speak out about its impact as well as other “taboo” topics.

Nila is a passionate creative and speaks beautifully about how her work affects her own life and the lives of those around her. She talked about the constant pressure to create and how she finds balance on platforms that demand continuous content production.
Listening to Nila, it’s impossible to miss the joy that infuses her work which, a lot of the time, is focused on heavy, hard issues. Nila consistently brings lightness to these important conversations, an invaluable skill which sets her apart as a truly joyful activist.

You can find Nila & her award winning work here:
- Nila’s website
- Find Nila on Instagram at @the_nila_extract and on TikTok at @thenilaextract
- Listen to The Nila Extract podcast, available on all major streaming platforms!

- Continue the conversation by picking up our book Dear Patriarchy: The Gaslit Women's Guide to the (Corporate) World

• International orders
• North American orders

- Please check out our "Feminism 101" suggested reading list here if you're at a loose end for a great read from an incredible female author.
- Find out more about Nubefy, the amazing artists behind the graphics we use, here.