It’s a big year for voting! There are national elections in 64 countries, affecting more than half the world. And many of us are anxious about an uncertain future. FT Weekend columnist Nilanjana Roy had a good idea in the midst of her own election fever: to find perspective, she turned to literature. Today, Nila shares what she came away with, and recommends books that can help reframe how we think about elections, no matter where we live.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. We’re on X @lifeandartpod and on email at lifeandart@ft.com. We are grateful for reviews on Apple and Spotify. And please share this episode with your friends!

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Nilanjana’s column on literature and elections: https://on.ft.com/3z9whiy

– The books that she recommends in this episode:

• Raag Darbari by Shrilal Sukla

• A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth

• Modi’s India by Christophe Jaffrelot

• Quarterlife by Devika Rege

• Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor

• The Age of the Strongman by our own Gideon Rachman

• Another England by Caroline Lucas

• Infomocracy by Malka Older

– Nilanjana is on Instagram @nilanjanasroy and on X @nilanjanaroy

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Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Books that help with election anxiety

Life and Art from FT Weekend