Profile

Uma Krishnaswami is the author of more than 25 books for young readers, including picture books, middle grade novels, a chapter book, and early readers. Her short stories and poetry have been included in anthologies. Her latest titles are Threads of Peace: How Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. Changed the World (middle grade nonfiction) and a picture book, Two at the Top: A Shared Dream of Everest, a poem in two voices about the mountain’s first ascent. Uma’s books have been picked for CCBC Choices, Parents’ Choice, Junior Library Guild, USBBY’s Outstanding International Books, South Asia Book Award Honor, Bank Street Best Books of the Year, Children’s Choice nominations in the US and Canada, the Scholastic Asian Book Award (Singapore), Crossword Award (India), APALA award, FOCAL award, and others. 

Uma was born in New Delhi, India, and has taught at VCFA since 2006. She lives in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, where she knits while revising.

www.umakrishnaswami.com

Education

MA - Rehab Counseling | University of Maryland

MA - Social Work | University of Delhi

BA - Political Science | University of Delhi

[pronunciation: oo-MAA (oo as in "wool") KRISH-nuh-SWAH-mee]

Selected work

An Na

Faculty, MFA in WCYA; Writing Novels for Young People Retreat

Fran Wilde

Faculty, MFA in WCYA

Alex Sanchez

Faculty, MFA in WCYA

Melanie Crowder

Faculty, MFA in WCYA

K.A. Holt

Faculty, MFA in WCYA

Corey Ann Haydu

Faculty, MFA in WCYA

Cynthia Leitich Smith

Faculty, MFA in WCYA

Mary Quattlebaum

Faculty, MFA in WCYA

Martine Leavitt

Faculty, MFA in WCYA; Alumnx Mini-Residency

Sheela Chari

Faculty, MFA in WCYA

Erica Perl

Faculty, MFA in WCYA

Jane Kurtz

Faculty, MFA in WCYA

Anica Mrose Rissi

Faculty, MFA in WCYA

Kekla Magoon

Faculty Emerita, MFA in WCYA

Loree Griffin Burns

Faculty, MFA in WCYA

Sara Ryan

Faculty, MFA in WCYA

Louise Hawes

Faculty, MFA in WCYA

Laura Shovan

Faculty, MFA in WCYA

Veera Hiranandani

Faculty, MFA in WCYA

Emily X.R. Pan

Faculty, MFA in WCYA

Anna-Marie McLemore

Faculty, MFA in WCYA

Martha Brockenbrough

Faculty, MFA in WCYA

Varian Johnson

Faculty, MFA in WCYA

Evan Griffith

Faculty, MFA in WCYA

Jennifer Ziegler

Faculty Co-Chair, MFA in WCYA

William Alexander

Faculty, MFA in WCYA

A.S. King

Faculty (On Leave), MFA in WCYA

David Macinnis Gill

Faculty, MFA in WCYA

Linda Urban

Faculty, MFA in WCYA

Liz Garton Scanlon

Faculty Co-Chair, MFA in WCYA

Jasmine Warga

Faculty, MFA in WCYA

Cory McCarthy

Faculty (On Leave), MFA in WCYA