Namrata is a first-generation Asian American writer of fiction, nonfiction and the Interviews Editor for Kweli where she curates a series titled “Race, Power, and Storytelling.” For about two decades, her work has explored the intersection of storytelling, race, class, gender, place and migration; it has appeared in Longreads, Literary Hub, The Best Asian Short Stories 2019, Transition, Poets & Writers, The Margins, The Progressive, Electric Literature, CounterPunch, VIDA Review, The Kenyon Review, (forthcoming) and elsewhere. Her debut fiction manuscript, Ladies Special, Homebound, was a finalist for Feminist Press's 2018 Louise Meriwether First Book Prize, longlisted for C&R Press 2019 Book Award, and is scheduled to release from Speaking Tiger. She is a contributor to The Los Angeles Times where she focuses on the art and sociocultural diversity of Orange County. Her current works-in-progress include personal essays on new motherhood and a fashion blog on Instagram (@stylegully) featuring South Asia-inspired stories of clothing, identity and diversity. She holds a Ph.D. in French Studies from the University of Pennsylvania, an MFA in Fiction from Bennington Writing Seminars and Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship in Transnational Cultures from UCLA. She has lived in different parts of the world and currently calls Huntington Beach in California home. Twitter: @poddar_namrata; Instagram: @writerpoddar