Archives: Authors

Atul Merchant was Annapurna Devi’s disciple from 1982 onwards and had a mother-son-like bond with her. Despite his primary focus being vedanta and music, he has studied storytelling and screenplay writing.

Chryseis Knight is an enthusiastic girl who learnt how to read at the age of one. Reading is her first love. Chryseis was inducted into MENSA at the age of two for her linguistic talents. She started writing the story of The Great Big Lion in her notebook when she was three years old. She then shared it with her family and became determined to do the artwork with the motivation of getting the book published. Chryseis is now an emerging author
and illustrator and hopes she can inspire children all around the world to embrace the magic in books. To know more about her, visit www.chryseisknight.com.

Anuk Arudpragasam was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and moved to the United States at the age of eighteen, where he attended Stanford and Columbia Universities. His first novel, The Story of a Brief Marriage, was translated into six languages, won the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature and was shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize. He currently divides his time between Sri Lanka and India.

Major General Rajpal Punia, YSM, has served for over thirty-five years in the Indian Army. As the orchestrator of Operation Khukri, the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone, West Africa, General Punia was awarded the prestigious Yudh Seva Medal by the President of India in 2002.

Damini Punia is an accomplished author with Penguin Random House India, celebrated for her debut book, Operation Khukri. A storyteller at heart, she specializes in military narratives, particularly those rooted in the Kashmir Valley—a region that resonates deeply with her soul. Educated at Lady Shri Ram College, Damini’s sharp intellect complements her passion for uncovering the complexities of human experience, allowing her to delve into the untold stories that shape our world.

An adventure enthusiast and animal lover, Damini is guided by a strong belief in the power of karma, striving to lead a life of kindness and compassion. She believes that if her words can inspire future generations, her purpose in this world will be fulfilled. Through her writing, she seeks not only to entertain but to enlighten, making her a voice for the untold stories that need to be heard.

Mir Yar Ali Khan “Jan Sahib” (1818-1886), the “glory of rekhti“, was an Urdu poet from Lucknow. After 1857, he settled in Rampur where he wrote the Musaddas tah?niyat-e-jashn-e-benazir. He also published a diwan of poems during his lifetime.

Adri Bruckner is a creative communications professional with experience in journalism as well as PR. She won an award for crisis communications for her work at Central European University. Now based in Barcelona, Adri develops communications strategy and produces storytelling content for corporate and non-profit clients, and is currently working on her first novel.

Anjana Menon runs Content Pixies, guiding global companies on critical content strategy. She is a consultant to CEOs and policymakers, a speaker at global conferences and a columnist. She worked for Bloomberg News in financial centres across two continents, managed and anchored a national TV channel and is a founder-editor of Mint. She divides her time between London and Delhi.

Marybeth Sandell has chased corporate news stories around the world, working for Bloomberg in Stockholm, London, Zurich and New York. She taught communications and journalism at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke and is the co-author of Introduction to Data Visualization and Storytelling: A Guide for the Data Scientist. Based in Stockholm, Marybeth heads group employee and leadership communications for Electrolux.

Vijay Gokhale retired as foreign secretary in 2020. He dealt extensively with China during his diplomatic career, including as ambassador in 2016–2017. He is author of three previous books on China, including The Long Game: How the Chinese Negotiate with India. He lives in Pune with his wife, Vandana, and devotes his time to research on China.