Say Hello to Whetstone’s newest editor, Vidya Balachander
We are so happy! If you missed it, at the beginning of the year, we made a big announcement that we were making our first expansion into regional coverage, and launching a South Asia vertical. For casual or infrequent followers of Whetstone, the announcement may have seemed random, and indeed in some ways, it seemed that way for us too. Why? Well, the answer to that question is, in no small part, also the answer to the newest member of our team.
In August of last year, due to the immense volume and quality of pitches we were receiving for our print magazine, we decided that we were doing ourselves, (and you!) a disservice by not publishing them. That’s when we decided to start publishing digitally, reintroducing our online platform, W Journal. Then, shortly after the launch, there was one story in particular that seemed to take on a life of its own, a widely shared story that, because of our previously print-only... footprint, gave us the unfamiliar experience of micro-virality, or that is to say, a story widely shared within and just beyond our food community. That story was called Asafoetida’s Lingering Legacy Goes Beyond Aroma and remains one of the most brilliant articles we’ve ever had the privilege of publishing. In its detail and nuance and skillful intertwining of food and culture and caste and class, it endures as an editorial benchmark for Whetstone.
As the article was circulated, it had the unforeseen consequence of introducing this new digital publishing endeavor to people in parts of the world who may have not otherwise known about Whetstone. Suddenly we were overrun with incredible pitches from India in particular, but more precisely, the surrounding countries. Just like that, we were back in the same quandary: a high volume of quality stories that we were reluctant to let go. With the creation of W Journal, the blueprint had been laid, and the decision to launch a dedicated space to hold these stories and nurture more like them was much simpler this time.
The announcement confirmed what we had thought to be true, which was that there was a massive demand not only for the stories of the subregion, but also a glut of talented narrators prepared to share them. We received over 100 applications for this position and have spent months reviewing and interviewing applicants from around the world. After learning more about Vidya’s background, it was clear why her article was as resonant as it was: she is a major talent!
Her career began in food media spans over a decade and began in Mumbai, where she worked at outlets like Time Out Mumbai, Hindustan Times and the Indian edition of BBC Good Food magazine. She was also a consultant on the seventh season of Anthony Bourdain’s (RIP): Parts Unknown, on CNN.
Her bylines are always thoughtful and almost too expansive to list, a testament to her hustle and curiosity about the parts of food that are only tangentially about food, like its origin, its makers and its cultural and historical context. Very Whetstone! We are so lucky to be working with her and we assure you, you are too! We will spend the first couple months establishing our editorial rhythm and posting the backlog of stories that best fit within this new vertical. But please, if you have pitches, don’t despair, we will soon be summoning! Refine them, consider them, and when the time comes (we will be sure to let you know), submit them.
To the many incredible writers and editors who reached out for the position, we hope you know that we are excited to work with you and trust that this new vertical will give us the best way to do that. Thank you for thinking of us and taking the time to apply. That’s all for now! Help us welcome Vidya and stay tuned for our launch next month!
With gratitude,
Stephen Satterfield
Whetstone Cofounder
