Authors based in Asia

Chen Qiufan

Chen Qiufan (Stanley Chan) was born in Swatow, China.
He is a science fiction writer, a columnist and an online advertising strategist. He published his first short story in 1997 in <Science Fiction World>, China’s largest science fiction magazine. Since 2004, he has published over 30 stories in <Science Fiction World>, <Esquire>, <Chutzpah> and other magazines. His first novella, <The Abyss of Vision>, came out in 2006. He won several awards, Taiwan’s Dragon Fantasy Award, China Galaxy Award, Chinese Nebula Award and a SF & Fantasy Translation Award (Translated by Ken Liu). He had several stories translated into English (mostly by Ken Liu) and Italian can be found on Clarkesworld, Interzone, F & SF and other anthologies such as <The Apex Book of World SF II> and <Alias 6>.

His debut novel <The Waste Tide> (2013) was described as “When William Gibson writes The Windup Girl”.

He now lives in Beijing and works for Google China.

Nabeel Ismeer

Nabeel Ismeer builds solar power plants across Asia during the day. He spends his nights writing, centred around the question ‘What if?’. What if the stone age had a Leonardo Da Vinci, was Lascaux her Mona Lisa? What if prehistoric leaders resorted to discrimination when they had no answer to the ice age? What if mitigating climate change can also help reverse inequality and further humanity? His writings, which include themes of climate change and inequality, have been published in print and online magazines. The Hunter’s Walk is his first book.

Khoa Le

Represented by Astound
Illustrator, author and painter based in HCMC, Vietnam.
Exhibition and awards:
– Solo exhibition “Unravel” (Vietnam) 2010
– Group exhibition Art Expo Malaysia 2012
– Asia Contemporary Art Show, group exhibition (Hong Kong) 2012
– AFCC 2012, Illustration group exhibition (Singapore) 2012
– Group exhibition, “Saigon Artbook” (Vietnam) 2014
– Grand prize SAMSUNG KIDSTIME AUTHORS’ AWARD 2015
– Solo exhibition, Craig Thomas gallery (HCMc, Vietnam) 2016
– 2nd runner up SCHOLASTIC PICTURE BOOK AWARD (by Scholastic Asia, Singapore) 2017
– Winner of the Best Illustrator Category – 2020 Northern Lights Book Awards (The Lonely Polar Bear – Publisher: Happy Fox Books)

Shalini Srinivasan

Shalini Srinivasan writes comics and fantasy by night. Her children’s novels include Vanamala and the Cephalopod (which was included in the White Ravens) and Gangamma’s Gharial. She has written numerous picture books on environmental themes, of which two — The Case of the Missing Water and The Sound of Water — deal with the effects of climate change in India. She also writes short stories for adults, including ‘Road – A Fairytale’ in Strange Horizons, about the effects of urbanization on the local landscape. By day, Shalini teaches English Literature at Azim Premji University, Bangalore.

Bijal Vachharajani

When Bijal Vachharajani is not reading a children’s book, she is writing or editing one. She has written A Cloud Called Bhura: Climate Champions to the Rescue, which won the Auther Children’s Book Award 2020, and So You Want to Know About the Environment, and has co-authored 10 Indian Champions Who Are Fighting to Save the Planet and The Great Indian Nature Trail with Uncle Bikky. Her picture books include P.S. What’s up with the climate?, What’s Neema Eating Today? and The Seed Savers. The former editor of Time Out Bengaluru, Bijal has worked with 350.org, Fairtrade and Sanctuary Asia. Senior Editor at Pratham Books, Bijal has a Masters in Environment Security and Peace, with a specialisation in climate change from the University for Peace.