Ranjabati Das Email & Phone Number

Kolkata, Wb, In

Kolkata, West Bengal, India

Editing. Writing. Commissioning. Mentoring. No product/listings pages, galleries or listicles. Put simply, the effort is to produce longform articles that are not meant to be a light read.

Mumbai/Kolkata

Apart from existing responsibilities:1. Laid down several processes in order to facilitate stories that resonate with Verve’s audience and ethos; this included the creation of two separate pitch formats (for in-house writers and freelancers).2. Constantly on the lookout for ways to sharpen pitches; elevate Edit and Art voices, ensuring that they feed off each other; and streamline the pitching process with an aim to create a tight narrative. This included the incorporation of distinct elements in the domain of both Edit and Art — like briefs, moodboards, etc.3. Ensuring that our social media content adds value to our features and are thoroughly researched. 4. Created individual style guides for social media.5. Our unique slow journalism model supports our advocacy for longform. A big part of my work, therefore, lay in ensuring balanced observations and diverse voices, prioritising checks and research, challenging the status quo using personal and collective histories while avoiding pedantry. We prefer to leave space for the readers’ interpretations of the thoughts articulated by the many writers, photographers, illustrators, fashion stylists and various other creative minds that collaborate on each issue. Beats included (but were not limited to): mental health and wellness, the environment, new media, parenting, sustainability. With an emphasis on human-interest stories, spotlighting marginalised voices and evolving cultures.

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

1. Copy-editing and commissioning, for Print and Digital.2. Writing, for both mediums.3. Researching all stories, to ensure that we are current.4. Created our style sheet in May 2015 (adding about 40 pages). This is a work in progress; we amend it as and when required, in order to keep evolving with the times.5. Conceptualised a Google Drive Document (that would be accessible to everyone) to maintain a record of intros, slugs and headlines in real time. As I was the only editor looking at the magazine in its entirety in my first few years, my aim was to ensure consistency (in narrative, for example) and transparency, avoid repetition, flag errors, etc. It became a collaborative exercise with team members offering suggestions and really taking to it with enthusiasm. This document allowed us to make sure we didn’t repeat a single headline/subhead — within a six-month period, minimum. The aim, really, was to never repeat. There were several processes set in place for the same.6. Came up with the idea for the Relationship (with self) issue in lieu of the Bridal issue (which had till then been part of our editorial calendar), with Tabu on the cover. This was in sync with the new direction in which Verve was moving — away from the mainstream (which was never the focus, to begin with).7. Mentored junior writers.8. Provided regular feedback — Edit and Art. 9. Apart from keeping an eye out for freelancers, whose voice and style are a good fit for us, I also ensured that they are paid swiftly once their piece is published, working in tandem with the Accounts department. I’ve often followed up, requesting that they give us their go-ahead after checking the invoice details — now, how many publications can claim to have done that? 10. Have given direction to advertorials, which are editorially-led. 11. If I had to describe Verve, a labour of love, in 3 words, I’d say: “heavy on features”. Rigorous research and editing, and original point of view.

Mumbai

• I wrote most of the cover stories (featuring top industrialists like Saroj Kumar Poddar, H. M. Bangur, M. Munot) and numerous trend stories, profiles and Q&As for which I interviewed Harshvardhan Neotia, Anurag Kanoria, Richa Agarwal, Jagdish Agarwal, Ashwin Sanghi and many more• Edited, proofread; was in charge of production• Created yearly content plans • Finalised layouts in close liaison with the design team• Commissioned stories (trend pieces, first-person accounts and Q&As) and shoots (both stories and photoessays) to freelance writers, columnists, historians and photographers• Also worked on the website revamp with the digital team, apart from overseeing all online content (website, apps and social media)• In charge of pagination, writing cover lines, headlines, intros, etc• Oversaw all advertorials, promotions and special features, apart from preparing concept notes and editorial calendars for the marketing team and meeting prospective advertisers from time to time• Co-ordinated and oversaw all content for events

Mumbai Area, India

• Written for National Geographic Traveller (India), as their Senior Features Writer. • Also assisted in proofreading and production of both National Geographic and National Geographic Traveller.

United Kingdom/India

• Contributed food and culture stories for Indian magazines like Jet Wings (both Domestic & International). • Covered the London Olympics as a special correspondent for The Telegraph.• Photographed for Clash, the London-based music magazine• Reviewed films and live music; contributed features pieces on social media, cinema, theatre, festivals and fashion for the print and digital editions of the award-winning Leeds Student, as well as a number of London-based organisations (including theculturetrip and Axonn Media)• Reported for The Seagull Foundation for the Arts

Kolkata Area, India

• Worked as a reporter for The Telegraph and its local news and Sunday supplements (Metro and Metro on Sunday)• Worked as a reporter and copy-editor for the features and lifestyle supplement, t2• Wrote numerous trend stories (beats included art, nightlife, music, food, books and technology amongst others). Was in charge of the Campus and Nightlife pages. • Interviewed musicians, actors, designers and authors of local and global renown (including Ian Rankin, Brian Cox and several Bollywood stars)• Wrote cover stories/conceptualised and co-ordinated photo shoots for the same• Reviewed concerts, albums, films, plays, stand-ups, restaurants and boutiques• Taken ownership of certain Telegraph and t2 events• Partook in a covert operation regarding Lindsay Lohan's Kolkata visit in December ‘08

Delhi

Reported, wrote (with bylines) and copy-edited for the local news section, HT Metro.

Master'S Degree, Journalism

Activities and Societies: Scribe, Lippy, Indian Student Association, Unity In Diversity

Ba Honours, English