Nayanika Mahtani once harboured dreams of becoming a stage actor, but she followed the proverbial left side of her brain to do an MBA at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore – and became an investment banker instead. She is now a bestselling author and screenwriter based in London. Published by Penguin Random House, Nayanika’s books range from historical fiction to multi-generational family sagas. Her latest YA novel Across the Line, rooted in the Partition of the subcontinent has won several honours (including the prestigious South Asia Book Award.) Her book about Genghis Khan invites young readers in to see how history depends on who is telling the story. Her debut novel Ambushed tackles the issue of tiger poaching; royalties go towards a school for the children of former poachers.
Nayanika has also co-written the screenplay for the film Shakuntala Devi, with leading Indian actor Vidya Balan in the titular role. She is currently working on two films and a web series. Nayanika has been a speaker at lit fests in the UK, UAE, India, Pakistan and Bhutan.
Her book:
Across the Line