Whose Stories Can We Tell?
Presentation Varsha Varghese
This is an interactive presentation inviting participants to reflect on writing the ‘other’. Is it a mistake to write about characters with different lived experiences?
Spoiler: Not if done with sensitivity! Learn more about the questions to think about, and tips for writing inclusive stories.
Varsha Varghese (India)
Varsha Varghese holds a Master's degree in Development Studies, where her academic training fostered a strong interest in gender studies. Her writing portfolio includes two picture books and a children's reader, drawing on research into the impact of male migration and single-parent household structures. In 2023, she won the Scholastic Asian Book Award for her middle-grade novel, The Summer Avisha Turned Detective, which is set to be published by Scholastic Asia in 2025. Her work-in-progress middle-grade historical fiction, set in 1930s Travancore, earned her a place on the shortlists for both the Neev Literature Festival (NLF) Fellowship for Book Creators 2023 and the HWR Emerging Writer's Residency 2024.
Programme dates and times are subject to change.