Upasna Kakroo

Upasna Kakroo was born in Srinagar as a part of the internally displaced Kashmiri Pandit community. Her writing often talks about belonging, identity, and roots, drawing inspiration from songs and stories her grandmothers shared. Upasna has been a brand storyteller for over 20 years and currently leads a nonprofit, Peerbagh in the United States where she leads creative confidence and storytelling workshops for kids and adults. She has published two nonfiction books, Loal (Gulshan, 2024), and Citywide Wi-Fi Networks (Lap Publications, 2012). From 2021 onwards, she has penned four children’s books commissioned by various nonprofits. Her children’s book, Shaliya Discovers Coronavirus Frumpfchi was translated into seventeen Indian languages and was commissioned by the Government of India. She is the managing editor for Bento – the only South-Asian children’s magazine in print. Upasna has won writing scholarships and residencies from Centrum, the Writing Barn, SCBWI, and the Kweli Journal. She lives in Ann Arbor with her husband and son.