Padma Venkatraman obtained a doctorate in oceanography from the College of William and Mary, conducted research at Johns Hopkins University, as well as in Germany and the Andaman Islands, worked as a diversity director at the university of RI, was head teacher of a school in England, and lived briefly in the United Arab Emirates and the Andaman Islands before becoming a full time author. Her five novels have been released to over 20 starred reviews and appeared on numerous best book lists, including ALA’s Notable books and BBYA lists. She is the winner of a Walter Dean Myers Award for Outstanding Children’s Literature, three South Asia Book Awards, two Paterson Prizes, two Nerdy Book Awards, two Julia Ward Howe Awards, two Malka Penn Honors, two Sakura Medal finalists, a Prix des Libraires finalist and several other awards and honors. She was born in India (and remains an OCI), although she is now an American citizen who lives with her family in Rhode Island.

Visit Padma at www.padmavenkatraman.com or follow her on Twitter @padmatv or Instagram venkatraman.padma.

“Padma Venkatraman had a delightful, energetic presence online, something that can be difficult to achieve via Zoom. She has a rare knack for putting people at ease while providing loads of practical information and constructive criticism.”

“Padma Venkatraman was extraordinarily open and enthusiastic on all the zoom interactions. I felt warmth and caring from her across the Zoom lines.”