
This Is My Story…
As far back as I can remember, I have loved stories, both telling stories and being told them. I wrote my first poem when I was nine, and although it was quite terrible, my parents made a big fuss over me and gifted me a little notebook in which I could record all my poetic impressions. I still have it.
My favourite subject through school was English Composition. I loved following my imagination wherever it took me. All it took to get going was a new topic, or the seed of an idea, or just the prospect of being able to write about anything at all. I read more than I could, begging for extra books in the school library.
By the time I got to St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai to study English Literature, I didn’t have to beg for books any more – I couldn’t read fast enough. So many greats out there and so little time.
Fresh out of college, I dithered for the first time. Did I have what it takes to be a writer? I didn’t know. So I decided to take a Master’s degree in Journalism from Northwestern University in Chicago. I worked with Outlook in Mumbai and The Japan Times in Tokyo. Real life, I thought, would give me many stories. It did – but then I discovered that some of our dearest stories are born in our imagination.
And then one day, I decided to write. Really write. Write what I want. And tell the stories I want to tell. It was not enough to dream of writing any more. So I wrote Wisha Wozzariter. And when Wisha stopped wishing and started writing, I did, too.
“Wisha Wozzariter,” won the Crossword Award for Children’s Writing in 2013. It is also on the “101 Indian Children’s Books We Love!” list. This zany story about a wish come true is also a modern-day fable about the adventure of writing.
I am finally living my dream of being an author. My newest book “Horrid High” will be available in bookstores in mid-September 2014. It’s a perfectly horrid adventure in the world’s most horrid school. Happy horrid reading!

Books - Young Readers
Horrid High, Puffin Books/Penguin Group, 2014
Puffin Lives: B. R. Ambedkar, Puffin Books/Penguin Group, 2012
Wisha Wozzariter, Puffin Books/Penguin Group, 2012
Untold Tales from The Jungle Book: Colonel Hathi Loses his Brigade, The Walt Disney Company, 2010

Awards
Crossword Book Award (Children’s Writing), 2013 for Wisha Wozzariter

Speaker
Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival, 2014
Jaipur Literature Festival, 2014
Bookaroo, 2012

Education
M.S. (Journalism), Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University, USA, 1999
Diploma, Social Communications Media, Sophia Polytechnic, Mumbai, India, 1997
B.A. (Honours), St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, India, 1996
Get in touch
I’d love to hear from you! If you would like to contact me for an interview or invite me to an event, please send me an inquiry and I will get back to you soon.
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