Uma Krishnaswami: Author of the Week

Uma Krishnaswami, an acclaimed author for young readers, bridges cultures through her award-winning stories, inspiring children worldwide.

on Nov 12, 2025

Uma Krishnaswami is a prolific writer of books for young readers—picture books, chapter books, early readers, retellings, short stories and novels—whose work bridges cultures and generations.

Uma Krishnaswami has spent more than twenty-five years writing for children and young adults. Her books, which have been translated into eleven languages, are published by imprints that include Atheneum, Groundwood Books, Lee & Low, Dundurn Press, Scholastic India and Tulika Books.

Her storytelling has earned wide recognition: she was a nominee for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in both 2020 and 2021, and her Book Uncle and Me (followed by the sequel Birds on the Brain) has been associated with honours such as the Scholastic Asian Book Award, the Crossword Award and the International Literacy Association’s Social Justice Literature Award.

From 2006 to 2020 Uma taught in the low-residency MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults at Vermont College of Fine Arts; she now holds the title of faculty emerita there. She has spoken to readers and writers across the US, Canada, India, Singapore and Hong Kong, bringing a clear, international voice to contemporary children’s literature.

Born in India, Uma lives and writes in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.