Speaking & Appearances

I speak on transracial adoption, South Asian American identity, motherhood, writing craft, and the stories families carry across cultures and generations. I bring the same economy and candor to the stage that characterizes my essays.


Topics

  • Transracial adoption: race, identity, and what families look like from outside and inside
  • South Asian American life, immigration, and the hyphenated self
  • Writing memoir and personal essays: form, ethics, and what to put on the page
  • The stories we inherit and the ones we have to find ourselves
  • Documentary storytelling and collaborative authorship (in conversation with Love Chaos Kin director Chithra Jeyaram)

Past Appearances

Broadcast: NPR’s The Takeaway · BBC Asia Big Debate · BBC Radio UK · LAJA TV

Print & Online: The Week India · The Hindu · Huffington Post · Adoptive Families · Motherwell Magazine · Verve India · PopSugar · Indian Express · Financial Express

Literary & Cultural Festivals: CAAMFest 2025 (Love Chaos Kin premiere) · Prabha Khaitan Foundation · Oxford Book Stores


Books

The Smudged Hyphen (2026) · Hindsight (2024) · A Star Keeps Its Distance (2026) · Why Is My Hair Curly? (2020)


Inquiries

For speaking engagements, festival appearances, podcast conversations, and panel invitations, use the contact form.