Children's Fest Facilitators

Aparna Kapur talks fast but writes slowly. Her most recent novel is called An Absence of Squirrels. She loves ice cream.

Archana Narayanan loves creating stories in her head, drawing inspiration from what happens around her. A few years ago, she quit her job as an analyst and started putting the stories that existed in her head on paper. Fast forward to now, she has several picture books to her name, and her debut chapter book for middle graders was published by Scholastic India in 2025. In addition to being a children’s author, she is an ‘occasional’ travel blogger. Originally from Chennai and a graduate of IIT Madras, she lives with her husband and son in Kerala.

Best known for the Gajapati Kulapati series of picture books, Ashok Rajagopalan writes and draws for children. His mission in life is to make people laugh. He lives with his noisy family in a quiet part of Chennai.

Vaishali BK is an educator, curriculum designer, author, storyteller, TedX speaker and children's literature advocate.

With experience across classrooms, teacher education, and reading initiatives, she is deeply invested in creating spaces where children encounter stories that expand their imagination, empathy, and understanding of the world.

Her work focuses on fostering rich reading cultures and meaningful engagement with literature in homes and schools.

Born into the world of books, Divya Arora graduated from the London School of Economics, and started work at Natraj Publishers from the ground up. Twenty-five years later, she is Publisher and Managing Director at Natraj which also owns its signature bookstore in Dehra Dun. She is the co-author of “Vikram Sarabhai: India's Space Pioneer”. Divya won a scholarship under the international 10,000 Goldman Sachs Women's Programme and is a member of the Motovun Group of International Publishers.

Divya Ramachandran is a Bangalore-based children's author, educator, singer, and storyteller. She has spent over 15 years working in education, curriculum design, and creative learning spaces. Through her books, workshops, and performances, she introduces children to art, culture, imagination, and the joy of playful exploration.

Kalabhi is a space where art , artists and learning come together , driven by the belief that art and the artist are deeply connected . ‘An artist for the sake of art , art for the sake of the artist’. The mission is to make art accessible and impactful ,allowing people to not just see art , but feel its influence in inspiring , thought provoking ways

Karthik Natarajan runs Fields of View, an organisation that builds games and simulations for adults, mostly. While working at Hasiru Dala, an organisation that supports waste pickers, they taught him everything he knows about materials, where they go, and how to make a better planet for all of us.

Kiran Bhat has been practicing children’s theatre since 1986. He has directed more than 50 plays for children. He has been Conducting theatre workshops for rural children for the last four decades. ‘Patha Nataka (1990, 2005) is the major programmes aimed at ‘theatre in education’ . Fellow traveller of Swedish ITI-Rangayana children’s theatre project. Conducting storytelling sessions for children. Recently visited many Government Primary schools with a programme, ‘Oduva Aata’ , an interactive book reading session with children. Children’s poems published in periodicals.

Madhuri Katti is Physics Educator, Independent researcher and Poet/Writer. She is the co-founder of Alt Poetry. Her poetry collection "On Life, Time and Other Things" was published in 2024. She has written numerous articles on Science, science history and heritage. Currently a Physics Facilitator (Cambridge curriculum) at Beyond 8, Learner led Alternative High School, Bangalore; She is also working on her grandfather's photography collection archival project and a book about his extraordinary work from 1920s to 1970s.

Madhuri is an avid travel and photography enthusiast. She loves poetry, storytelling and science history. She conducts Science Café and Stem workshops regularly at Attagalatta community space. She also conducted a fun science session at Children's Literature Festival at Bangalore Literature Festival 2025.

Mrinalini Levin-Srinivasan is a student at Lanier Middle School in Houston, Texas. An unusually gifted young writer, Mrinalini benefited from the isolation of the pandemic years, when she found herself reading for hours daily. She is currently a Speech and Debate Team Captain, Lanier Leader, and member of the National Junior Honors Society. She has won numerous writing and speaking competitions at the University Interscholastic League and is the founder of a Banned Books Club. Mrinalini has studied bharatanatyam and Carnatic music; she plays the clarinet and is a competitive swimmer with HTX Swims. She has lived in six U.S. states and two countries.

Neena Girish founder of littlestorytellers is an award winning school librarian, author,educator, story coach, awareness ambassador and founding member of Storytellers Hub at Spectrum The Awareness Project. Member at KTGLOBAL (Kathashtakam), Indian Kamishibai Association, CSF(Indian Storytelling Network), Formerly a librarian at St. Paul’s School, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, she now leads dynamic storytelling sessions for educators, facilitates training programs rooted in narrative pedagogy, and hosts podcasts that explore the intersections of education and creativity.

Neena has performed at leading platforms, including the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival in Mumbai and Kukdukoo Lit Fest, Bangalore (2025), sharing her love for stories with diverse audiences.

A poet and award-winning children’s author, Priya Narayanan loves to conjure stories over many cups of coffee and chocolate chip ice cream. In a parallel universe, she straddles the professional and academic worlds of design with equal passion, travels solo whenever possible, and reads everything that comes her way.

Radha Rangarajan is usually found lost in either a forest or a book. She is a naturalist, photographer, and writer with a particular fascination for trees, fungi, and elephants. She has written and edited over 15 picture books for children and leads nature walks across Bangalore.

Rahil Mohsin is a Bangalore-based comic artist, writer, and co-founder of Hallubol, the world’s first bilingual Dakhni-English comic series. With over 15 years in comics and illustration, he has worked with publishers including Scout Comics, Scholastic, and Comixense. He has illustrated children's books for Room to Read, while Fayu & Dariya Ka Jinn marks his debut as both writer and illustrator. His work explores language, folklore, memory, and everyday life through comics and picture books.

Ria Master is an Early Childhood Music Teacher, Storyteller, Movement Coach, Montessori Guide, and Educator with over a decade of experience working with young children. Her work “Sparklesound” is rooted in the belief that music and movement provide a powerful foundation for holistic development in the early years. She supports children in building confidence, self-expression, coordination, and social connection through joyful, play-based experiences. Ria’s bubbly energy, animated expressions, and improvisation make every session filled with fun and laughter. She also conducts engaging parent-child workshops, teacher trainings, parenting sessions, and collaborative programs across different cities in India.

Sahitya is an artist and designer based in Bangalore who has worked on numerous children's picture books and comics. Her work has been published by Scholastic, Hachette, The Mint, Karadi Tales and Tulika Books among others. She loves pop-up books, desserts, video games and drawing flowers on post-it notes. While not at her full-time job or illustrating children's books, she's usually curled up with a graphic novel, sipping filter coffee and eavesdropping on the most exciting bulbul conversations outside her window.

Sanjana Kapur is an author and editor with over 18 years experience in children’s publishing. She has written several books, including the award-winning Who Stole Bhaiya’s Smile? (Pratham Books). Her book Mum in a Mess (Duckbill Books) was on the 2025 Parag Honour List. When not writing she can be found making futile attempts to understand the world.

Shobha Tharoor Srinivasan is an award-winning author, poet, and voice-over artist whose work bridges cultures, generations, and genres. The author of more than a dozen books published in India and the United States, she writes fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and picture books for readers of all ages. Her work has been widely anthologized, translated into Malayalam, excerpted in school curricula, and even performed by Silicon Valley Shakespeare in California.

As a voice artist, Shobha received the Best Narration Award at India’s 68th National Film Awards (2022). Her distinctive voice has enriched documentaries, educational programs, journalistic projects, and audiobooks, including narrations of her own books.

Among her acclaimed titles are Indi-Alphabet, winner of the Purple Dragonfly Award for Cultural Diversity; It’s Time to Rhyme, Publishing Next’s Best Children’s Book of the Year Award (2022); and Prince with a Paintbrush: The Story of Raja Ravi Varma, a Best Book of the Year by “Beyond the Box Kids” and featured as a clue on Kaun Banega Crorepati. Other notable works include Let’s Use Our Words, an inventive exploration of language through prose, poetry, wordplay, and games; Parvati the Elephant’s Very Important Day; Sandalwood’s Story; Look Before You Leap; and the adult nonfiction title Good Innings. Her latest picture book, written entirely in haiku, celebrates the wonder of a child’s everyday experiences. Bird/Dog, her first chapter book, was co-written with her granddaughter, making it a unique intergenerational collaboration.

Before becoming a full-time writer and voice artist, Shobha spent two decades as a nonprofit development professional, advocating and fundraising for people with disabilities. A frequent speaker at literary festivals and conferences, Shobha champions the power of stories to foster empathy and connection. Dividing her time between California and India, she embraces her identity as a global citizen-a perspective that lies at the heart of her work.

Tanisha Tiwari is an illustrator and mural artist based in India. Her work celebrates storytelling, animals, and the little joys of everyday life. Through workshops, children’s books, and playful illustrations, she creates immersive art experiences that encourage creativity and self-expression in children.

Urban Chaupaal is a Bangalore-based theatre group with over 45 years of collective experience, having performed across India and internationally at esteemed venues and festivals. Their performances are known for their meaningful narratives and resonance with diverse audiences.

Vaishnavi Giri is an illustrator, author, and creative facilitator who loves building joyful spaces for children to explore books, art and nature. Through process-based art sessions, storytelling and hands-on workshops, she encourages curiosity, and self-expression. She is also the founder of Wildpaper, through which she has created and retailed her nature and wildlife based products for children, artwork, and other educational/play aids

Varsha won the Scholastic Asian Book Award 2023 for her middle-grade novel 'Dear Author, You are Wrong.' She has written children's books as part of Juggernaut's 'History Nobody Told You' series and has a children's historical novel forthcoming with Puffin.

Yukti is an Expressive Arts Facilitator who believes creativity belongs in everyday life. Through journaling, writing, and simple art practices, she encourages people to slow down, notice beauty in the ordinary, and create without pressure. Her workshops offer a gentle space for self-expression, curiosity, connection, and play.