1. I'm the author of two non-fiction books: Wanderland shortlisted for the Stanford Dolman Award and Wainwright Prize, and the award-winning Wild Times. I've contributed to anthologies, including the landmark Women on Nature, and have written widely for national print and digital media as a feature and travel journalist. I speak at events, coach aspiring writers of non-fiction, and run a marketing consultancy for first-time non-fiction authors. As a writer, I increasingly occupy a cross-genre space where travel, spirituality, place, and memoir meet.
2. I was born in the UK and raised in Montreal, Canada, to Indian parents from South Africa. I currently make my home in London, England. I emigrated to Canada when I was young, so I think the seeds were planted then. And I’d always wanted to write. In my 20s, I discovered Stanfords, the travel bookshop in London, and I think that cemented the idea. I was a travel journalist first, though. Though these days, I’d say I was cross-genre – sort of nature, travel, spirituality.
3. My first, Wild Times, was a hybrid guidebook/narrative (the kind literary writers can be pretty snobbish about). I was having a drink with a fellow travel journalist, who happened to be the MD of a travel publishing company. I told him about some of the things I’d been up to, and he thought there could be a book in that – and that’s how the ball got rolling.
4. As for Wanderland, which is a pretty personal narrative, it was seeded in a serendipitous way. I saw that a publisher from Bloomsbury had ‘liked’ one of my tweets, so I seized the opportunity and emailed him and asked if he fancied meeting for a coffee. He asked me what I might like to write about, and that’s how that one started—no being swept up by an agent off the bat, although I have a brilliant one now. I’m definitely a late-starter!
5. While writing any content, I prefer to pay attention to detail; that is what I can see, what my other senses are picking up, snippets of conversation, etc. I can very easily recollect feelings and thoughts, so I don’t worry about noting those too much when on the road. I take photos when I can, too, as visual aids. I’ll write and rewrite extensively. I must do the labor so that the reader doesn’t have to. I always try to look at what I’ve written from a reader’s perspective. I want what I write to be an ‘easy’ read, which takes work. I don’t think people realize quite how much work. From commission to the draft I submitted, I think it took me around two years to write Wanderland.
6. I travel because I inherently love going on a journey and because, coming from a multicultural background, I feel more at home in the wider world. So travel writing, or some broad version of it is a natural extension.  It is a way of making sense of my experiences in the world, creating meaning from them. I’m interested in cultures beyond my own; I like making connections and friendships, especially exploring our shared humanity. I adore falling in love with vast, wild, staggeringly beautiful landscapes. I don’t think I am a conventional travel writer, though – Wanderland contained travel memoir, spirituality, and nature writing elements.  I think to write about whatever inspires you, whatever you connect with, whether fiction or non-fiction.

Featured and Mentions

1. I have authored a book named Wild Times, won the book prize at the British Guild of Travel Writers Awards 2017, and was a finalist at the Travel Media Awards 2017.
2. I have also authored Wanderland, which was shortlisted for the Stanford Dolman Award for Travel Book of the Year, and the Wainwright Prize for UK Nature Writing.
3. I have also contributed to the landmark anthology Women on Nature, and before that, Winter.
4. I’ve been a judge on the Stanford Dolman Award Travel Book of the Year and delivered the inaugural Jan Morris Lecture at the Hay Festival in Wales.
5. In 2019 I was named one of National Geographic’s Women of Impact. The interview can be referred to from here.

6. Wanderland featured in India’s Scroll. in a round-up of ‘Fifteen books with which to travel through nature, when a journey out is impossible.’

Awards and Achievements

1. My first book, Wild Times (Bradt, 2016), won the book prize at the British Guild of Travel Writers Awards 2017. It was also shortlisted for the Travel Media Awards.
2. I’m a contributor to the landmark Women on Nature anthology (Unbound, 2020), Epic Hikes of Europe (Lonely Planet, 2021), and Winter (Elliot & Thompson, 2016)
3.  My book was shortlisted for the Stanford Dolman Award for Travel Book of the Year and the Wainwright Prize for UK Nature Writing.
4.  I got Shortlisted for Outdoor Book of the Year, Great Outdoors Awards, 2020.

Workshop and Events

1. In the year 2021, I spoke at Flipside Festival,  New Networks for Nature, Wigtown Book Festival,  Just Festival,  Primadonna Festival,  Timber: The International Forest Festival, Hay Literary Festival (the inaugural Jan Morris Lecture), Stanfords Travel Writers Festival,  Sheffield Libraries Event, Wimbledon Library Event, and Mindscapes, Sick Festival.
2. The South Bank Centre commissioned me to write five texts on the theme of ‘Winter Light’ as part of their free outdoor Winter Light Exhbition. The exhibition ran from Dec 20- to March ‘21.
3. I contributed words to the Global Garden at the Royal Botanic Gardens Travel the World at Kew exhibition, which ran from July till October of 2020
4. I have been a guest on That Podcast (interviewed by comedian Nish Kumar), Royal Geographical Society,  Stubborn Light of Things, Armchair Explorer, Desi Books, Better Known, Travel Writing World, Ticket for One, Planet Pod, The Green Alliance, The Thoughtful Travel Podcast, Prompted by Nature, The Wintering Sessions with Katherine May, Travelling Through, Tea and Tattle and Forest Clouds Nature Therapy.

My Past Work Experience

1. Previously I have worked as a freelancer for authoring books, UK National Press. My previous projects have been writing, research, exploration, consultancy, interviewing, editing, social media, networking, project management, speaking, and facilitating.