Press & Speaking
“Goodbye dystopia. Hello 'thrutopia'"
CBC’s What On Earth with Laura Lynch | Podcast | May 3, 2026
“Tired of stories about bleak, hopeless futures? You’re not alone. Writers are ditching dystopian narratives for a fresh take on climate fiction. Enter ‘thrutopia,’ a new genre that aims to chart a middle path through the worst impacts of climate change. And maybe even envision a future where humanity both survives and thrives. Climate writer Sanjana Sekhar and media watcher Lucy Stone talk about getting more ‘thrutopia’ onto screens and bookshelves.”
“Move over, dystopia. Sci-fi's thrutopia genre shows a path for humans to survive — and thrive"
CBC News | Article | May 21, 2026
“Can 'thrutopian' stories help us realize a better climate future? […] Sanjana Sekhar's story belongs to a new genre of storytelling called ‘thrutopia’ that imagines a pathway through the worst impacts of the climate crisis and describes what a worthwhile life on the other side might actually look and feel like. […] Sekhar says dystopian stories can be paralysing because they make readers and audiences feel a sense of doom or helplessness. Utopian stories, meanwhile, are subjective and might offer hope to only a certain group of people.
‘Right now, we're living in the utopia of a white, male billionaire and I'm not having a great time,’ she said. ‘With thrutopia … it's about collective thriving. How do we get there through the messiness of figuring it out together?’”
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“Making Climate Sexy?”
Hip Hop Caucus | by Antonio Hernandez | Interview | November 4, 2025
“Author and strategist Sanjana Sekhar wants to shift climate messaging from guilt to pleasure and inspire a movement rooted in desire and justice.”
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“Can ending your most toxic relationship help people + planet?”
Intersectional Environmentalist Media | Interview | May 22, 2025
“‘Big Oil is our collective toxic relationship – lying, cheating, gaslighting, making us feel like there’s no world without them. It felt like there was a clear allegorical link there that we could leverage.’ - Sanjana Sekhar
Such is the motivation and inspiration behind HEATED (GARMI), a new pop/R&B breakup anthem all about breaking up with Big Oil and reclaiming our collective power from the Oil-igarchy, a project by GARMI and performed by Anusha Savi.
We chatted with Anusha and Sanjana (who was featured in IE’s Artivist Series) on how they brought this sultry song with a message to life.”
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“On Thrutopia with Sanjana Sekhar” | The Future is Intersectional: Artivist Series
Intersectional Environmentalist Media | Interview | March 31, 2025
“Do we need better options than utopian and dystopian storytelling? We sat down with artivist Sanjana Sekhar to bring you her learnings around ‘Thrutopia’ as a stronger guide for climate fiction writing.”
“Author Sanjana Sekhar shares what climate fiction means to her, the future of climate justice and the art of storytelling”
Assembly Magazine | Interview | April 17, 2024
“In this episode, Sarah Harrison sits down with Filmmaker Sanjana Sekhar to discuss a short documentary called Expedition Reclamation, which Sanjana co-directed as part of the Brave Space Project.
Listen in to learn how the film seeks to reclaim the outdoors for underrepresented voices, and how this project relates to creative storytelling and environmental justice.
Climate Designers will be presenting a screening of the film and a panel interview with the filmmakers on July 20 for our supporting members. This episode will give you a little sneak peek before the main event goes down in a few weeks.”
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“Behind the scenes with Visit Native California”
Outbound Collective | Interview | March 15, 2023
“We spoke with Lauren Begay and Sanjana Sekhar, the filmmakers behind the Visit Native California content series spotlighting many ways visitors can learn about and learn from California’s 100+ tribes. Read on to find out more about their experience working on this series, and learn how you can follow along with Lauren and Sanjana's work.”
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“Decolonizing Outdoor Spaces with Sanjana Sekhar"
Climate Designers | Podcast | June 28, 2022
“In this episode, Sarah Harrison sits down with Filmmaker Sanjana Sekhar to discuss a short documentary called Expedition Reclamation, which Sanjana co-directed as part of the Brave Space Project.
Listen in to learn how the film seeks to reclaim the outdoors for underrepresented voices, and how this project relates to creative storytelling and environmental justice.
Climate Designers will be presenting a screening of the film and a panel interview with the filmmakers on July 20 for our supporting members. This episode will give you a little sneak peek before the main event goes down in a few weeks.”
“Revitalising connections to community and Earth through ethical storytelling with Sanjana Sekhar”
Mind Full of Everything | Podcast | July 5, 2022
“What role does storytelling play in revolutionising our work to heal our current selves and natural world, as well as our collective future? How can we re-establish a culture of relatedness and reciprocity through reclaiming our wisdom and positions as storytellers and communicators? In this heart-warming and insightful conversation, Agrita and Sanjana explore the medicine of storytelling, in relation to the ancient practice catalysing our healing work within community and Earth, to revive lost and damaged connections to who we really are in this interconnected world.”