About
An hour that asks
nothing of you
Most answers to screen time are punishments. Delete the apps. Lock the phone in a drawer. Try harder.
None of that ever worked for me. Offline shouldn't feel like giving something up — it should be as good as the thing you're putting down.
So the bar for this paper is simple. It has to be more interesting than your phone. Not more virtuous. More interesting.
What it is
Eight pages, folded once. A paperful of games, no news, no advertising, and nothing that expires.
It's Indian without being in Hindi. The films are ones you've seen and the streets are ones you've stood on — but every word is in English, so nothing gets in the way of solving.
Most of the games were built for this paper and exist nowhere else.
- Published
- Monthly
- Pages
- 8
- Size
- 11 × 17 in
- Games
- A paperful
- Advertising
- None
- News
- None
- Made in
- Mumbai
Who's behind it
Akshita Obhan
I started The Interval because I wanted to cut my screen time and couldn't find anything worth putting my phone down for.
Every part of it is made at one table in Bombay — the games, the clues, the answers, the cover. If a puzzle in here annoys you, that's me. If one makes you laugh out loud on a train, also me.
Say hello at @readinterval.
A note from the creator
Fold it, write in it,
spill chai on it
Welcome to the first issue of The Interval.
This started with a simple thought: somewhere along the way, we forgot how to be bored. Every spare minute became another scroll, another notification, another thing asking for our attention.
So I made the paper I wanted to find in a bookshop, on a coffee table or tucked into a café corner. One you could solve with friends, leave behind for a stranger, or pick up again months later and still smile at.
This paper won't change your life, organise your inbox or teach you how to wake up at 5 a.m. But I hope it makes your day a little more fun. Fold it, write in it, spill chai on it if you must, and don't forget to share it before hiding it on your bookshelf.
With love,Akshita
Questions
How long does it take to finish?
Longer than an hour, and that's on purpose. Most people get through a page or two at a time and come back to it. Nothing in here expires, so there's no rush.
Is there really no news in it?
None. An issue from last March is exactly as good to solve today, which is the whole idea.
Do I need to be good at crosswords?
No. Most of the games have nothing to do with vocabulary — you say things out loud, look at photographs, argue with whoever is sitting opposite you. Every page has something easy on it.
Is it in Hindi?
Entirely in English. The references are Indian — the films, the streets, the food — but nothing on the page requires reading another script.
Can I play it alone?
Seven of the eight pages, yes. The back page needs a second person, and that's deliberate.
When does it ship?
Within three working days of your order, by post, from Mumbai. Most addresses in India get it inside a week. There's no tracking on Book Post, which is the trade-off that keeps delivery included in the price.
What if it arrives damaged?
Send a photograph and I'll post a replacement, no questions. It's a newspaper — it will arrive folded, and that's how it's meant to be.
Do you ship outside India?
Not yet. Newsprint and international postage don't get along. If you're abroad and want one, write in and we'll work something out.
Is there a subscription?
Not yet. Buy one issue, see if you like it, and subscriptions will open once there are enough issues to subscribe to.
Can I get a refund?
Before it ships, yes, in full. After it ships I can't take a newspaper back, but if something's wrong with it I'll replace it.
Can I buy it as a gift, or in bulk?
Yes, and it's the thing it's best at — hampers, onboarding kits, offsites, a stack on a café counter. Write to hello@readinterval.in for anything over ten copies.