Born in Kolkata, Ram Kamal Mukherjee started his career as a film journalist twenty years ago with the Asian Age. Later, he shifted to Mumbai and worked with publications such as Stardust, Mumbai Mirror (the Times of India Group), Mid-Day, Anandabazar Patrika and the TV18 group. He headed Stardust-India’s leading film magazine-as its editor-in-chief. He also has a popular Sunday column-‘Ram Katha’-in Mumbai Mirror, and has hosted the Bengali chat show Talk Bangla, which featured thirteen Bollywood celebrities. In 2005, Ram authored a coffee-table book on Hema Malini, Diva Unveiled. He was the vice president of Pritish Nandy Communications for over a dozen feature films. He co-produced the Hindi TV show Bin Kuch Kahe for Zee TV in 2016, and published his first work of fiction, Long Island Iced Tea, in the same year. His authorized biography of Bollywood’s legendary actress Hema Malini, Beyond the Dream Girl, has fetched him national and international accolades.
Devyani G. Ghosh’s interest in writing goes way back to her schooldays in Baghdad International School, Iraq, where she won a prize in a prestigious international essay contest in the tenth grade. The scholarship money from the contest funded her English (honours) education in Presidency College, Kolkata. During her last year in
college, she interned at the Asian Age and discovered that journalism was her calling. Working at the Indian Express in Mumbai and, later, being the Mumbai correspondent for the Pioneer, Delhi, brought her into close contact with the world of Bollywood, as did a short stint as an interviewer with Zee Music.
Ram Kamal Mukherjee is editor-in-chief at Stardust and the author of Hema Malini: Beyond the Dream Girl
Agyeya(1911-87) was the pen name of S.H. Vatsyayan, regarded as one of the foremost figures of Hindi literature who was instrumental in pioneering modern trends inthe realm of poetry, fiction, criticism and journalism. As a young man, he joinedthe movement for India’s independence alongside Bhagat Singh and ChandrashekharAzad, and was even arrested by the British authorities. His monumental novel Shekhar: Ek Jeevani, widely regarded ashis masterpiece, was drawn from his own experiences in prison and has been published in Penguin Classics as Shekhar: A Life. He has also won the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Jnanpith Award for his poetry. Prison Days and Other Poems, a collection of his verses, has also been published in Penguin Classics.
Nandini Nayar is India’s most prolific children’s writer. In a career spanning less than 20 years she has published 53 books with well-known Indian publishers like Tulika, Karadi, Amar Chitra Katha, Scholastic, Puffin, HarperCollins, Juggernaut, Pratham, Eklavya, Talking Cub and Mango. Her international publishers include Oxford University Press, Pakistan, Frances Lincoln and Tricycle Press. In addition, Nandini has been a regular contributor to iconic children’s magazines like Tinkle, Hoot, Toot, Dimdima and The Children’s Magazine and newspapers like The Hindu and Sakal Times.
Generations of readers recognize her as the author of well-loved picture books like What Shall I Make? and Where is Amma? What Shall I Make? was named an outstanding book by the United States Board on Books for Young Readers. Pranav’s Picture, What Shall I Make?, Guddu’s Photo and The House of Fourteen Cats feature in the list of books recommended by the Central Board of Secondary Education (India). What Shall I Make? and What Did You See? feature in 101 Indian Children’s Books We Love (Zubaan).
For older children Nandini has written novels, collections of short stories, creative biographies and retellings. Her four books in the series The Diary of an Indian Schoolgirl are immensely popular and both Apoorva’s Fat Diary and Camp Sweets won the BICW award in 2019. Mouse and Bear, The Perfect Chair and The House of Fourteen Cats won prizes in the competition organized by the Children’s Book Trust.
Her other books for older children include The Curious Case of the Sweet and Spicy Sweetshop, The Great River Magic and The Girl in the Mirror.
Ajoy Bose has been regarded, in recent years, as the leading expert on Mayawati and her Dalit politics. He is at present a senior political columnist and television commentator, published in leading newspapers and magazines in India and abroad, and appearing on major channels. He has co-written two books, the highly acclaimed For Reasons of State: Delhi under Emergency and the Shah Commission Begins.
John Dayal is a political activist and author of The Shah Commission Begins.
Neelesh Misra is a lyricist, radio storyteller, journalist and writer. He is the founder and editor of Gaon Connection, India’s biggest rural media platform, and the founder of Content Project, home to some of India’s best emerging writers, collectively called the Mandali. His exceptionally popular shows on radio and digital platforms include Yaadon ka Idiot Box (Big FM), The Neelesh Misra Show (Red FM), Qisson ka Kona, Time Machine and Kahaani Express (Saavn App). Neelesh is also one of Bollywood’s prominent lyricists, the author of five books and two-time winner of the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism. If you wish to join Neelesh Misra’s Mandali, send an original story in any Indian language to mandli@contentproject.in. To connect directly with Neelesh, download his spoken and video content app ‘Mic’ or follow these verified pages and handles: Facebook: @TheNeeleshMisraPage Twitter and Instagram: @neeleshmisra YouTube: Neelesh Misra
Isaque Ibrahim Bagwan retired as an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) in May 2009 after serving in Mumbai Police for over thirty-five years. He was awarded the prestigious President’s Police Medal for Gallantry thrice. As per Mumbai Police records, he is the first officer from the force to have killed a criminal in an encounter. He is also the first police officer to shoot at and apprehend a criminal during proceedings in a sessions court in Mumbai.
Bagwan was also praised for his quick thinking and valour, which saved hundreds of lives, by the Pradhan Committee Report that looked into the 26/11 terror attack. He had taken charge of Nariman House during the deadly attack and restricted the terrorists’ movements for over sixteen hours with just twelve men. He also assisted in ensuring the safety of people in the buildings around Nariman House until NSG commandos arrived.
Medha Deshmukh Bhaskaran is the author of Chhatrapati Shivaji’s bestselling biography, Challenging Destiny (2016, published by Crossword Bookstores). It was nominated in two categories at the Raymond Crossword Book Awards in 2017 and has been translated into Marathi Zunz Niyatishi and Hindi Niyati ko Chunauti by Manjul Publishers. Challenging Destiny now proudly carries the designation of ‘National Bestseller’. Her book on the captivating realm of pharmaceuticals and medicines, drawn from her personal experiences, Prescription of Life (Crossword Bookstores), was launched in 2018.
Her two works of historical fiction are published by Penguin Random House. ‘Frontiers – A Relentless Battle between Aurangzeb and Shivaji’ in 2018, and ‘Life and Death of Sambhaji’ in 2021. ‘Frontiers’ has been translated into Marathi as Ranasangram by Majestic Publishers. ‘Life and Death of Sambhaji’ has been translated into Hindi as Shivaji Maharaj Ke Suputra ki Shouryagatha by Prabhat Publishers and into Marathi as Chhatrapati Sambhaji – Jeevan and Balidaan by Sakal Media Group. Both Challenging Destiny and Life and Death of Sambhaji are available as audiobooks.
Challenging Destiny for Young Readers will be launched in February 2025 by Crossword Bookstores. The Kannada version of Challenging Destiny is coming out later in 2025 – by Prism Publishers. Sakal Media Group recently published her latest book on social issues tormenting India Up Against Darkness’ and research-based book for medical and non-medical people ‘The Story of Immunity’. Up Against Darkness won the FICCI special jury award for publishing in 2024. It is translated in Marathi.
Medha is a microbiologist who has worked in marketing and business development for food and pharmaceutical companies in countries like Germany, India, and the United Arab Emirates. From a young age, she has dabbled in poetry in Marathi and English. Medha has written articles on various subjects for leading newspapers in India (Indian Express) and in the Gulf (Khaleej Times and Gulf News).
You may get in touch with her at:
Email: medha4979@gmail.com
Twitter: @Medha DB
Facebook: Medha Deshmukh Bhaskaran
Having graduated from Harvard Law School, Anurag K. Agarwal was the first recipient of the Marti Mannariah Gurunath Outstanding Teacher Award at Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. His teaching, consulting and research interests include business and intellectual property, business leadership, contracts and arbitration, infrastructure and PPPs, medico-legal issues in healthcare and related issues. Agarwal conducts executive education for the government as well as public and private sector companies. He was a practicing advocate in Lucknow for seven years before switching to teaching. Agarwal writes a weekly column ‘Lawfully Yours’ for DNA, Ahmedabad. He has authored three books-Business Leadership and Law (2017), Contracts and Arbitration for Managers (2016) and Business and Intellectual Property (2010).
