Uma Krishnaswami
Uma Krishnaswami is an Indian-born author of children's books and a writing teacher. She is recognized as a significant voice in international and multicultural young adult fiction and children's literature. Krishnaswami was born in New Delhi, India, and now resides in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, holding dual citizenship with the United States and Canada, and Overseas Citizen of India status. She has taught writing for many years, including in the MFA program at Vermont College of Fine Arts, where she is now faculty emerita. Her work often draws on her Indian heritage and experiences living between India and the U.S., aiming to provide more books about diverse global settings for children. Krishnaswami's books have been translated into eleven languages.
Awards
['Scientific American Young Readers Award (1997)', 'International Literacy Association Notable Book for a Global Society (2005)', "Crossword Book Award (Children's Literature) (2013)", 'Scholastic Asian Book Award (2011)', 'Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature (2017-2018)', 'USBBY Outstanding International Books List (2017)', "Bank Street Children's Book Committee's Best Books of the Year List (2022)", "City of Victoria Children's Book Prize (2025)"]
Notable Works
['The Broken Tusk: Stories of the Hindu God Ganesha', 'Naming Maya', 'Book Uncle and Me', "Chachaji's Cup", 'Monsoon', 'The Grand Plan to Fix Everything', 'Step Up to the Plate, Maria Singh', 'Birds on the Brain', 'The Sunshine Project']
