Miss. PARO ANAND
Paro Anand, a fearless writer and storyteller, received the Sahitya Akademi Bal Sahitya Puruskar Award in 2017 for "Wild Child," now "Like Smoke." She's a dedicated advocate for children's literature, with books like "No Guns at my Son's Funeral" gaining international acclaim. Anand also runs "Literature in Action" and hosts the podcast of the same name. Her work has earned her numerous accolades, including the Kalinga Karubaki Award for Fearless Writers in 2019. BBC Hindi featured her in their "100 Women" project, highlighting her achievements in literature and storytelling. Paro Anand's contributions continue to inspire both nationally and internationally.
Miss. Sujata Noronha
Sujata Noronha is the Founder Director of Bookworm, an innovative library organization in Goa, India. Her work revolves around decolonizing library practices and creating inclusive spaces for children, particularly for diverse communities entering formal literacy in India. Sujata's academic interests span language, literature, and learning, making her a dedicated educator and advocate for critical discourse in the field.
Miss. Uma Krishnaswami
When she was five years old, Uma Krishnaswami wrote her first story—in green crayon, on the wall of her father's government-allotted house in Delhi Cantonment. These days she uses more conventional materials. Uma is the author of over twenty-five books for young readers with more on the way. Her work has been translated into 14 languages. Since 2006, Uma has also taught in the MFA/Writing for Children and Young Adults programme at the Vermont College of Fine Arts, USA. She lives in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
Miss. Ahalya Naidu
Ahalya Naidu has been a features writer and editor for newspapers and magazines. She has also edited manuscripts for new and established authors. She is the co-founder of Trilogy, a curated bookshop and library, which was set up in 2014, in Mumbai.
Miss. Himanjali Sankar
Himanjali Sankar is an editor and writer. Her children’s and YA books include The Stupendous Timetelling Superdog and Talking of Muskaan, which were shortlisted for the Crossword Book Award. Mrs C Remembers, her first novel for adults, won her the FICCI Publishing Award for Upcoming Author of the Year in 2018. She is currently Editorial Director at Simon & Schuster India.
Miss. Sampurna Chattarji
Sampurna Chattarji is a prolific writer known for her poetry, fiction, editing, and teaching. She has an impressive body of work, including nine publications for young readers like "The Bhyabachyaka and Other Wild Poems" co-authored with Eurig Salisbury. Among her notable works for adults are "Dirty Love," a collection of short stories about Bombay, and eleven poetry titles, including "Space Gulliver: Chronicles of an Alien" and "Unmappable Moves." Chattarji is celebrated for her contributions to literature.
Anita Roy
Anita Roy is a writer, editor and environmentalist. She set up and ran the Young Zubaan imprint until 2015. Her children’s novel, Gravepyres School for the Recently Deceased was awarded the WWF/Green Lit Fest prize in 2021. She is a regular columnist for the Guardian’s Country Diary, and her work has appeared in Granta, Guernica, The Dark Mountain Project, Resurgence & Ecologist, India Today, India Quarterly and elsewhere.
Anushka Ravishankar
Anushka Ravishankar has spent over twenty five years in the world of children’s books, as writer, editor and publisher. She has written over thirty-five books for children, including picture books in verse, chapter books, retellings of folk tales and non-fiction. Several of her books have been published internationally and have won awards. She was an editor at Tara Books and Scholastic India, and was co-founder and publisher of Duckbill Books.
Dalbir Kaur
Dalbir Kaur is a literacy & library consultant, and an educational entrepreneur. She is profoundly passionate about books, literacy development, and libraries. In 2011, she created the One Up Library, Book Studio, and Learning Lab, a unique library cum curated children’s bookstore, and a dynamic learning space serving wide-ranging age groups. So far, she has personally worked with over 5000 children and families to foster reading and writing about reading in a workshop model.
Dr. Mukul Priyadarshini
Dr. Mukul Priyadarshini, a Ph.D. in Linguistics, is a seasoned educator with experience at prestigious institutions like Lady Shri Ram College and Miranda House, University of Delhi. She has worked with government bodies like NCERT, NCTE, CBSE, and civil society organizations including Eklavya, Tata Trusts, and more. Mukul is passionate about enriching education through diverse children's literature, emphasizing linguistic diversity. She contributes as an editor, translator, and educationist, promoting the importance of language in learning.
Mr. Manoj Kumar
Manoj Kumar, an esteemed academic at Azim Premji University since 2014, has a diverse and impactful career. He managed children's book publishing at Room to Read India and coordinated educational programs at Digantar. His educational journey includes degrees in Hindi literature, teaching as a lecturer, and a unique stint at Ghent University, Belgium. Manoj is a prolific writer with numerous journal articles, book reviews, and contributions to education. He's also an editor and has presented at conferences, addressing vital issues in the field. Additionally, he engages with popular press and writes for children, further solidifying his significant role in academia and literature.
Mr. Udayan Vajpeyi
Udayan Vajpeyi is a prolific author with a diverse portfolio, including poetry, short stories, essays, plays, and novels. He has authored numerous collections of poems, short stories, and essays, exploring a wide range of themes. His literary work has been translated into multiple languages and has achieved international recognition. Additionally, Vajpeyi has been involved in theater, film, and lectures on arts and literature in various countries. His contributions extend to writing for documentary films and editing an arts and literature journal. He resides and works in Bhopal, India, and has made significant contributions to the world of literature and arts.
Arun Kamal
Arun Kamal is a leading Indian poet writing in Hindi. He has six poetry collections and three selections of poems to his credit. As a literary essayist, his publications include two volumes of critical essays and a book of conversations. Has also published a verse play and an autobiographical narrative.
He is a recipient of several awards including Sahitya Akademi Award(1998),Bhartiya Bhasha Parishad highest honour for total contributions; and Kalinga International Literary Award.
Kamlesh Joshi
Kamlesh Chandra Joshi is a Teacher Educator. Since the last 30 years he is engaged in Primary Education with different organisations, working in area of Children Literature, Early Literacy and Teacher Development with great interest. He has published many articles on issues of language pedagogy, children’s books, teacher development in various educational journals and edited the educational magazine ‘प्रारम्भ शैक्षिक संवाद’ in the past.
Sonika Kaushik
Sonika Kaushik holds a doctoral degree in early literacy from University of Delhi and been engaged with the field of education as a teacher, teacher educator and researcher for more than two decades. Her work with the reading and early literacy programmes at the NCERT spans nearly a decade. Currently, Sonika serves as the Lead for Professional Development vertical of Parag Initiative including the Library Educators Course in Hindi and the Children’s Library Course.
Miss. Deepa Balsavar
Deepa Balsavar, a prolific writer and illustrator of 30+ children's books, earned recognition for works like 'The Seed' and 'The Lonely King and Queen.' Her 'Nani’s Walk to the Park' won multiple awards, including NEXT Publishing’s Book of the Year. In 2021, she received the Tata Trusts Big Little Book Award for her contributions to children's illustration. Deepa was a key member of the Avehi-Abacus Project for 20 years, focusing on integrated education and values. She also collaborated with UNICEF on projects related to children's education and development. Currently, she serves as an Adjunct Associate Professor at IDC, IIT Bombay.
Miss. Nina Sabnani
Nina Sabnani is a renowned artist and storyteller known for her impactful work in film, illustration, and writing. Her animated films, often collaborative efforts with folk fablers, have garnered international acclaim, including a National Award in 2016. She received a lifetime achievement award for Illustration at the Tata Lit Live Festival in 2018 and The Legend of Indian Animation award in 2021. Nina's research focuses on the interplay between words and images in animated films and book illustrations. She holds positions at IDC School of Design, IIT Bombay, School of Design UPES, Dehradun, and Srishti Manipal Institute of Art Design and Technology. She currently resides in Chennai.
Miss. Proiti Roy
Proiti Roy is a children's book illustrator with a background in fine arts and graphic design. She transitioned to illustration after working in advertising and manufacturing in India and Bangladesh. Proiti is the recipient of the Big Little Book Award in 2017 and collaborates with publishers and NGOs like Ektara, Eklavya, Tulika Books, Pratham Books, Karadi Tales, Johns Hopkins, and Room to Read. She has a deep love for animals and resides in Shantiniketan, caring for 20 rescued dogs.
Shilpa Ranade
Shilpa Ranade is an Animator and Illustrator. She is a Professor at IDC School Of Design, IIT Bombay, where she teaches Animation and Image making. She works in the area of creating content for children and makes animation films and has illustrated numerous books for leading publishers. Her films have won accolades at some of the most prestigious film festivals in the world.
Indrapramit Roy
Indrapramit Roy is a visual artist with a three decade long practice and has been teaching at his alma mater, Faculty of Fine Arts, MSU of Baroda since 1995. He has illustrated for Orion London, The Hindu, Tara publishing, Ektara, J. Paul Getty museum of Los Angeles etc. over the years. Honours and fellowships include Inlaks Scholarship, Erasmus Exchange Scholarship to spend a term at HdK Berlin, Govt. of India-Junior Research Fellowship, the Fulbright fellowship – USA and Artist-in-Residence at The Siena Art Institute, Italy
Sushil Shukla
Sushil Shukla is currently Director at Ektara – Children’s Literature Centre of Takshila. He has a vast body of work in the field of Children Literature for the last almost twenty five years – including writing, editing and publishing. He is also the Director of Riyaz, a unique initiative for illustrators, which he actively helped conceptualise. He ran the children’s magazine Chamak as an editor for a decade and a half and has edited more than a hundred children’s books. He is also currently involved in the ideation and editing of two children’s magazines named Cycle and Pluto.