Sita Brahmachari author page

Sita Brahmachari biography

Sita Brahmachari is a British author acclaimed for her children’s and young adult literature, which often explores themes of identity, belonging, social justice, and the environment. Born in Derby in 1966 to an Indian father from Kolkata and an English mother from the Lake District, she spent her childhood in various parts of the UK, including Hull, the Lake District, and Shropshire.

Brahmachari studied English Literature at the University of Bristol and earned an MA in Arts Education from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. She began her career in community theatre, working with organisations such as the Royal Court Young People’s Theatre, Talawa, Tamasha, and the Royal Shakespeare Company, focusing on education programmes and promoting underrepresented voices.

Her debut novel, Artichoke Hearts (2011), won the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize and was recognised by The Guardian as one of the top 50 diverse books since the 1950s. Subsequent works include Jasmine Skies, Kite Spirit, Red Leaves, Tender Earth, Where the River Runs Gold, When Secrets Set Sail, and When Shadows Fall. Her books have been translated into multiple languages and have received numerous accolades, including the IBBY Honour List for Tender Earth in 2018 and a Carnegie Medal shortlist for When Shadows Fall in 2023.

Brahmachari has also contributed to theatre, co-creating a stage adaptation of Shaun Tan’s The Arrival in 2013. She has written novellas such as Worry Angels, Car Wash Wish, and Corey’s Rock, and has contributed to various anthologies focusing on themes of refuge, identity, and children’s rights.

In addition to her writing, Brahmachari serves as an Associate Lecturer in Children’s Literature at Goldsmiths, University of London, and is a Royal Literary Fund Fellow. She has been a Writer-in-Residence at the Islington Centre for Refugees and Migrants and was BookTrust’s Writer-in-Residence in 2015. Her work is endorsed by Amnesty International, and she is an active advocate for children’s, refugee, and environmental rights.