BIOS
2016 Alumni
Sayantan Ghosh
Sayantan was born in Calcutta, India and currently lives and writes in New Delhi where he works as an editor for an international publishing house. He has a degree in economics but probably doesn’t know where he has kept it. His work has been published in Electric Literature, Litro Magazine, The Aerogram, The Missing Slate, Northeast Review, Reading Hour, The Bangalore Review, Antiserious, Arre, Youth Ki Awaaz, DailyO, Scroll and The Hindu Business Line among others, and his short stories were longlisted for the DNA-Out of Print short fiction prize in 2014 and 2017. He has written a nonfiction book of quirky essays on modern love called Who Needs Cupid? and a collection of speculative fiction stories for Juggernaut Books.
Twitter @sayantansunnyg.
Sidharth Singh
Sidharth Singh was born in 1995. A writer and musician from Delhi, he is a postgraduate student of English Literature at Shiv Nadar University. Along with the arts, he has a love of adventure too, and is versed with Greco-Roman wrestling, boxing, and mountaineering. His work has been featured in college magazines, and he has won several awards for creative writing in different universities.
Sameen Borker
Sameen Borker is always late to the party because she was probably reading a book. In addition to smashing the patriarchy, asserting the supremacy of French fries, and braving Mumbai traffic, she writes essays, book reviews, and short fiction. Sameen is previously published on Wasafiri, Scroll India, HuffPost India, The Ladies Finger, and Helter Skelter. She maintains a personal blog chronicling in prose, poetry, and patchwork the times and life of a somewhat eloquent and somewhat garbled writer. Connect with her.
Prithvi Yadama
Prithvi Yadama lives and reads and writes in Hyderabad. He teaches creative writing for kids and teens at couple of private centers in Hyderabad. Prithvi has studied Creative writing at SACAC, New Delhi. He has previously worked and written for the magazines India legal and Creative brands. He is currently working on his first novel and exploring fictional writing in other mediums.
Pooja Ruparel
Pooja Ruparel… is not a new name on the block.. the advertising industry embraced her from the age of four. She leapt from the small screen onto the big screen with, Rakesh Roshan’s ’King Uncle’, starring Jakie Shroff, Shah Rukh Khan, Paresh Raval amongst others. She then starred in, Aditya Chopras’ historic debut film, ‘Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge’ as the unforgettable, know-it-all brat ‘Chutki’.
She continued to act in commercials, a few of them were with Shah Rukh Khan, Kareena, Saif Ali Khan, Kajol, Arshad Warsi, Rani Mukherjee and brought her powerhouse presence to each one.
Being a brilliant student compelled her to do her Masters in Industrial Psychology and she become a qualified Corporate Trainer. Her artistic leanings made her learn Bharatnatyam, Kathak and Semi Classical Hindustani singing while pursuing her education.
During this time she embarked on her career in professional theatre with , ‘Shyam Rang’ a musical, written by Javed Siddique with lyrics by Gulzar and music by Ismail Durbar. She was a part of the world premier of Eve Ensler’s (writer of the ‘Vagina Monologues’), ‘I’m an Emotional Creature’. Currently she is touring the country with her play, ‘The Big Fat City’ written by Mahesh Dattani.
Pooja believes, ‘ The instant feedback from a live audience, forces an actor grow and truly practice the art of entertainment’. This also makes her excel in the fields of Improv and Stand Up Comedy.
The coming year will see her performing cameo roles in, ‘Amit Sahani Ki List’ with Vir Das and ‘X’ the film, opposite Rajat Kapoor.
She now marks her comeback with Anil Kapoor’s ‘24’, directed by Abhinay Deo and Rensil D’Silva on Colors, touted to change the face of Indian Television.
Lavina Galani
Lavina Galani is a student, anchor and a spoken word poet from Pune. She was the runner up twice at the Pune Poetry slam, and once at Bullock Cart Poetry. She was also featured on 94.3 Radio One Poetry Slam (Pune). Her work has been published in an anthology of short stories, poems and book reviews called Inked and in an anthology of poems ‘On Flight – Ode to journey’ (DELSLAM). She is a regular contributor and part time coordinator at ‘Mileage’ – NIFT Mumbai’s monthly magazine. Lavina likes to write poetry and creative non-fiction on themes such as human experiences, travels, urban communities, fashion and crafts. She is now experiencing her own Metamorphosis similar to Gregor Samsa’s as she places herself in Mumbai.
Indhu Subramaniam
Indhu blogs and writes about micro histories and minutiae that layer the larger canvas of human life. She loves poetry but prose is the form she can find voice and cadence in. Her current writing interests include contemporary history, social interactions and emotional landscapes with specific focus on women’s lives. She explores these themes through fiction, creative non-fiction and memoir. She has a Masters in communication and was running women’s rights NGO till she took a break from regular employment to explore different ways of living life and to give in to her ever present desire to capture through her writing, the ways in which life thrums and expands. She attended the Dumpukt writing workshop in 2016 which has mentored and given her tools to refine and structure her writing. She has always lived in Bangalore and isn’t sure she wants to anymore.
Harvinder Kaur
Harvinder wrote her first poem at the age of nine. Since then it’s been a long journey in life, poetry, and creative expression. She has lived happily through decades of writing poetry, articles and stories published in poetry anthologies (Laughing Buddha, poetry anthology on Indian Cities – to be released), national level magazines (Life Positive, New Woman) and newspapers (Hindustan Times, Deccan Herald, Pioneer, DNA) besides oral poetry readings (English and Hindi).
With more than 20 years in education, she has assumed several roles in the education world as principal, coordinator, teacher, examiner, and above all a learner. She was associated with International Baccalaureate Organisation schools for a decade as well as CBSE, ICSE and IGCSE schools. She now has fun working for innovative and holistic education and is currently on the board of Directors at ICIE, (India Council for Integral Education, Sri Aurobindo Society, Pondicherry). Inspired by the educational philosophy of Sri Aurobindo, she has set up a unique, holistic school in Bangalore (Auro Mirra International School) with open classrooms amidst nature, no uniforms, inter-disciplinary approaches and more.
She conducts workshops on creativity, self-exploration, and creative teaching, while helping to set up innovative schools and teacher training programmes. She’s crazy about tea, trees, poetry and the moon!
Read about her work here
Debosmita Nandy
Debosmita Nandy weaves stories whenever she gets a break from her job as an in-house lawyer. One of her short stories featured in the top three in a nation-wide contest judged by Anuja Chauhan and was published by Rupa Publications in “An Atlas of Love”. Another of her short stories was selected to be published by Readomania in “Defiant Dreams”. She has also written for the “Chicken Soup for the Indian Soul on Friendship” and two of her poems were published in The Statesman.
Presently, she is taking a break from writing short fiction to complete her first novel. The synopsis of the work-in-progress was shortlisted for presentation at The First Book Club New Writers’ Mentorship Programme at Jaipur Literature Festival 2018.
Charumathi Supraja
Charumathi Supraja was born in Bangalore in 1975, when the city was still associated with gardens and pensioners. Though Journalism was one of three majors in her BA course, it was writing fiction and poetry that she dreamt of, while searching for the sky beyond a Mango tree she studied through school and college. By the time the tree was chopped, the house demolished and the city tagged with traffic and IT – she had married, made the start of a career in Journalism and had two children. More than 15 years of Journalism, NGO and teaching jobs later, she met Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed, dived into acting, playwriting and theatre-making. Theatre facilitated her return to tree-gazing, Carnatic music (vocal and violin) and led her to explore Kalaripayattu and Tai Chi. She was led back to her dream of writing fiction and poetry after Dum Pukht 2016 – a seriously fun and further life-altering workshop at Adishakti Theatre, her favourite crucible for creative work. ‘Eyes Full of Dreams,’ a story she first wrote at Dum Pukht, won the #Iwritefordiversity contest conducted by IIM, Bangalore. She’s currently working on what may choose to become an anthology of short stories or a novel, while pursuing “treevelling” (a word she invented for ‘travelling to meet trees and revel in them’). She’s also slow-cooking a theatrical piece about her relationship with trees and writing the fifth draft of a full-length play on marriage in contemporary India. She facilitates the sharing of people’s tree-thoughts and memories through the ‘Treevellers Katte’ – a holding space for trees and stories. She wrote the script for A Mahatma called Gandhi (Media Fusion India Pvt. Ltd, 2007). Her work has been published in India Smiles (Penguin, 2006); 50 Writers 50 Books (Collins, 2013) and I dine sko/In Your Shoes (Norwegian, English and Hindi; Bokvennan Forlag, 2014).
Anannya Dasgupta
Anannya Dasgupta didn’t think she could write fiction till one day she tried writing one to prove herself right. It was a tiny story set by a poolside in Gurgaon that got itself printed in a magazine called Out of Print. Since then, and since the Dumpukht workshop, she is happy to be wrong. She also writes poetry, and creates digital and pen & ink images. Currently she is Associate Professor and Director of the Centre for Writing Studies and Jindal Global University.
You can read her here:
Out of Print Magazine | The Bangalore Review | The Literateur | The Scent of Champa
Aekta Khubchandani
Aekta Khubchandani is a writer, poet and illustrator. Currently, an Associate Editor at The Floating Magazine, her work has been published in The Bangalore Review, The Aerogram, The Bombay Review, Scroll, Mad Swirl, Terribly Tiny Tales, Warehouse Zine, Quail Bell Magazine and Literary Yard. Her recent short fiction entry has been long listed for Toto Awards (2018)- Creative Writing in English by TFA (Toto Funds the Arts). Two of her poems will be published and printed by Kitaab in the anthology- Map called Home. Another one makes home at Mad Swirl’s first print anthology- Best of Mad Swirl: 2017, this year.
Her poem I tried to look like Ma has been featured by TQC, ScoopWhoop and Dil ki Baat. She has also spoken about fiction being a bitter reality wrapped up in a blanket of lies and the backseat story of how this poem came to life at TEDx Bocconi, Mumbai; of which the video is now out.
You can view some of her work at:
Crows and Goodbyes | Undressing her | Mustard Yellow | A Family Photograph | TEDx Bocconi Mumbai Talk and Performance Poem
2017 Alumni
Sruthi Tetali
Academically, Sruthi holds a Bachelors in English Literature, Psychology and Journalism, PG Diploma in Broadcast Journalism and an MBA in HR and Marketing. Professionally, she has worked with a branding firm, SAGE Publications and Indian Express before joining United Way of Hyderabad. She currently oversees Communications and HR at United Way of Hyderabad.
Tapan Mozumdar
Two years back, at the golden jubilee year of my routine existence, I got interested in fiction writing and since then, have about 25 short stories published in various online magazines. I was shortlisted for Star TV writers program and the segment for the new writers in the Bengaluru and Jaipur Literary Festivals. My stories has been in the Top 50 of one of the Write India 2 challenges and in the Top 10 (4th) in another. I write poems and non fiction as well and planning to start a novel.
I am a construction and project management professional in my day job and work for ITC at present.
After the Dum Pukht workshop, I have become more mindful and critical of my writing. Since then, I have been published in the esteemed literary journal, Kitaab, and for selected by the popular writer Twinkle Khanna for Write India. I guess that’s as best as it can get, thanks to my stint at the workshop!
Vishnu Bagdawala
Before literature was something he thought he could live his life on, Vishnu was a student of science with no particular goal in his mind, although the people around him wished he’d become a doctor. Well, he didn’t become a doctor but pursued literature as an undergraduate from IGNOU. He’s pursuing masters in literature as of now. Before coming to DumPukht, he had published a poem in VAYAVYA run by Mihir Vatsa, a Shrinivas Rayaprol Poetry Prize winner. He considers the current period of India as ripe for development of a national literature, much like Russia in the nineteenth century.
Shruthi Suresh
Shruthi Suresh likes to doodle and dream when she isn’t roller-skating with her kids or working in hospital. Read about her work here.
Pooja Rathnakumar
Pooja Rathnakumar is studying to get a TESOL certification in teaching English from Trinity College, London and is a publishing professional who loves to teach. When she’s not either of these, she enjoys writing short fiction about people she’s never seen before, or perhaps never will, but falls in love with nevertheless: people who are characters in her work and hence occupy more space in her head than real people. She loves the European classics (both in English and in translation), contemporary American short fiction, and Indian women’s writing in English. When she doesn’t teach or engage with the written word (either through reading or writing), she likes to take long strolls and tap into the air for something interesting to tell, something that could possibly coalesce into a story about interesting people doing not-so-interesting things.
Debosmita Dam
Debosmita Dam is a graduate of Delhi University, where she majored in literature, and was an actor, writer, and director as part of the DU theatre circuit. Since she moved to Bangalore two years ago, she has worked as a content writer at a startup, before joining Sandbox Collective, an arts organization. She enjoys working with children formally and informally, and facilitates a series of workshops called, ‘Thinking Up Stories’, which combines theatre games with writing exercises to encourage creative expression and imagination.
She is currently working on a production as director with college students. as part of a joint project between Sandbox Collective and Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan, in Bangalore. Read about her work here.
Bhaskar Rao
I am a Research Scientist turned Techie turned historian/writer in the making. A life-long Mumbaikar with a 13-year stint in San Francisco, I’m trying to achieve that delicate balance of travelling around the world, completing a Master’s in History, and writing that one great novel that would give my life meaning — still failing at it all, but still flailing on.
Ayush Jain
From being visibly awkward with talking to people to an ardent admirer of all things meta, this introduction will stay true to the spirit of the silhouetted figure. fascinated with the power of language, the breadth of words and the scope of art. an earnest believer of sleep as the ultimate remedy. drifting in his silent sea of thoughts, you can always find him perilously cliffhanging on the vertiginous verge of why we exist (at all).
Archana Nair
Archana Nair works as a Software Engineer in Bangalore, but her love for writing stories is what truly keeps her going. She is still making up her mind whether she is a beach-person or mountain-person, meanwhile, she wants to travel the world as far and wide as she can.
Ankita Athawale
Ankita wrote software, then business plans and project proposals until her love of music, literature and theatre trumped her interest in algorithms, business strategy, organisational behaviour and such. She now learns classical Dhrupad music from acclaimed vocalists the Gundecha brothers, and teaches herself creative writing with more than a little help from every writer she reads.
Ankita writes stage plays and short stories as well as non-fiction articles and content for businesses. In October 2017, she wrote a children’s book called ‘Dina’s Diwali’ that was published as part of the Dino Staury illustrated book series. Since 2014, she has worked on many stage plays and play adaptations that have been performed at venues in Mumbai, Hyderabad and Nagpur.
Among artists, she is a nerdy engineer. Among engineers, she’s the typical business school grad. Among corporate professionals, she’s the dreamy, creative type. Ankita considers this a pleasure and a privilege.
2018 Alumni
Abhilasha Pawar
She’s a 24-year-old scriptwriter and creative director by day and a hopeful romantic on the search for a really good romance novel with good writing and good characters. She might end up writing one if none come to mind in the next two years coz she’s busy thank you.
You can read some of her short stories as well as some official ad scripts here:
Portfolio
Stephen Preetham
I’m a video game artist who dabbles in writing, hoping it will bloom into something that is creatively rewarding. The aim is to write stories that remain with people who read them long after they turn the last page. I was born in Chennai, have lived in a couple of Indian cities over three years, and am currently in Bangalore.
Nandhitha Hariharan
Nandhitha Hariharan is a banker-turned-marketer with a love and passion for writing. She enjoys writing both fiction and non-fiction and loves to write short stories (specifically in the supernatural and psychological thriller genre!) An avid blogger, performance poet and a social media influencer, she is currently pursuing her MBA from Indian School of Business.
Sarah Farheen
Sarah is a medical doctor, who like every other Bangalorean chick prefers Bangalore over Bengaluru. She considers herself unapologetically polygamous because she can’t decide what she loves more: Psychiatry or writing. Most of the time she’s a nerd submerged in her many books trying to rote learn Latin names. And in her free time she explores new music, indulges in small talk, watches movies that make her smile and talks to her disinterested cats.
You can read some of her work here:
Dahi Papdi Chaat | Sarah Farheen Pratilipi
Kaushiki Saraswat
I have been working as a freelance writer, documentary script writer and a playwright for past 2 years.
I have also been performing as a spoken word artist for past two years and my work has been recognised by prestigious stages like Kommune, Spoken by Kommune, Airplane Poetry Movement and The Quill Company. And my written word has been published by The Bagpiper, Mad Swirl and several other Instagram pages.
On the days I can’t write, you’ll find me painting a canvas or moulding clay on a wheel. I will be joining Birkbeck, University of London, from October 2019 for an MA programme: Gender, Sexuality, Culture.
Aarti Wani
Aarti Wani is an Associate Professor of English and the Head of the Department of English at the Symbiosis college of Arts and Commerce, Pune. She is the founding co-editor and currently lead editor of the international peer-reviewed journal, Studies in South Asian Film and Media. Her book, The Fantasy of Modernity: Romantic Love in Bombay Cinema of the 1950s (2016) has been published by the Cambridge University Press.
Bree Alexander
Bree Alexander (pseudonym: Lika Posamari) is a multi-form Australian emerging writer, editor and document designer with a background in development studies and law who spends significant time in India. Her current writerly interests include playing with form, multilingual writing and explorations of movement and writing. She is also on the lookout for collaborations. Her work has appeared with Eureka Street and Girls Will Be Girls, among others and her poetry is forthcoming with Australian Multilingual Writing Project. She was shortlisted for the Overland Fair Australia Prize 2018 (NTEU category) and she has a poetry chapbook ‘The eye as it inhales onions’ (in case of emergency press, 2018). She sporadically blogs at https://roundlyintheeye.wordpress.com and tweets @LaBree_A. Her email is bree.a[at]icloud.com.
You can read more of her work at:
Ethical eating demands more than veganism | It’s About The Dignity | Australian Multilingual Writing Project | ICOE Press
Nalin Pasricha
For most of his career, Nalin worked in the financial field – in investment banking and trading. In 2017 he joined Star TV as a screenwriter. He attended the Star Writers Program which was an intensive 6-month training program in screenwriting. He worked at Star for a year but left recently to go freelance, writing feature films and web-series. He’s currently working on web series proposals and spec scripts in the thriller, comedy, fantasy and romance genres. He lives in Mumbai.
Prashant Gokule
I am a Mechanical Engineer and work as a Designer in Caterpillar. I design awesome machines. I have mostly been involved in Product Development, throughout my 8.5 years of work life. Writing has always been very close to my heart. I continue to explore new ways and areas to write. I have worked on a few short stories which got published on online portals. I am from Pune, and currently work in Bangalore.
Jabili Sirineni
I am a 23-year-old architect from Hyderabad. My association with words began when I was very young. I was introduced to books and fell in love instantly. I did not know that writing would come to me so naturally until I felt the need to write. Because of being an introvert, I seldom voiced my opinion in social gatherings or school debates. However, I always had a lot to say. This led me to express myself through poetry and I have been writing poetry for 13 years now. I have come to realize the relevance of writing in this world and I believe that words have the power to alter thoughts and transform entire systems.
Uday Kanungo
A Masters Graduate in English Literature, I basically exist to read everything under the sun, and strive to write fiction a often as I can. I am currently working in the publishing sector as an editor. Throughout my studies, I have been trying to carve short stories and translations, which themselves are the product of whatever I read. I have published my fiction in Pif Magazine and my translations of poetry and prose have been featured in the blog Onubaad – a multi-lingual storage of several writers of the Indian languages.
Kalyan Kankanala
Kalyan works with BananaIP Counsels, a premier IP Firm headquartered at Bangalore. He writes legal and medical fiction.
