Shweta Taneja

Last updated

Shweta Taneja
Born New Delhi, India
OccupationNovelist, graphic novelist, journalist
Period2012 -
Genre Fantasy, Solarpunk
Website
shwetawrites.com

Shweta Taneja is an Indian author of novels, short fiction, graphic novels, nonfiction and comic books. Her work includes fantasy fiction series The Rakta Queen: An Anantya Tantrist Mystery, [1] The Matsya Curse: An Anantya Tantrist Mystery, [2] Cult of Chaos: An Anantya Tantrist Mystery [3] and books for YA and children including The Ghost Hunters of Kurseong [4] and How to Steal a Ghost @ Manipal. [5]

Contents

Her short story "The Daughter That Bleeds" was published in Best Asian Speculative Fiction [6] and won the Editor's Choice Award. [7] The story was translated into French under the title La Fille qui saigne, published in Galaxies magazine [8] and was a finalist in the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire Awards [9] for 2020 in France.

She wrote the scripts for The Skull Rosary, a five-story graphic novel involving the Hindu god Shiva (published by Holy Cow Entertainment) [10] and Krishna: Defender of Dharma, about the Hindu god Krishna (published by Campfire Graphic Novels). [11] She currently lives and works in Bangalore, India.

Biography

Shweta Taneja grew up in Delhi, India. She earned a master's degree in English Literature from the Lady Shri Ram College for Women, University of Delhi and a Masters in Fashion Communication from the National Institute of Fashion Technology.[ citation needed ]

Writing career

Taneja's journalist career began with the magazines Femina and Men's Health (where she was the Assistant Editor of the India edition). She continues to write for several print and online publications including Mint, [12] Discover India, Scroll [13] and The Huffington Post (India). [14]

Her first publication was the Krishna: Defender of Dharma, a graphic novel about the Hindu god, for which she wrote the script and collaborated with illustrator Rajesh Nagulakonda. In 2013, the graphic novel was recommended for Classes 7 and 8 for schools affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education, India by the Association of Writers & Illustrators for Children. [15]

The Ghost Hunters of Kurseong was her first novel. It involves a group of twelve-year-olds who solve a mystery in the hill town Kurseong in India. [16] Taneja promoted the novel using a children's detective workshop. Groups of children would solve a mystery within a given time and then draw out their version of the events [17]

The Skull Rosary was Taneja's second graphic novel. She wrote the script and collaborated with five different illustrators for each of the five stories in the novel. It was nominated for Best Writer and Best Cover for the Comic Con India awards 2013. [18]

Her next work was Cult of Chaos: An Anantya Tantrist Mystery which is a detective fantasy novel based in Delhi, India. The protagonist of Cult of Chaos is Anantya who is a woman tantrist - a practitioner of Tantra. [19] Cult of Chaos is billed as India's first tantic-detective novel. [20] The novel was launched with a quiz on paranormal and supernatural beliefs in India. [21]

In 2016, Taneja published How to Steal a Ghost @ Manipal which is as described by The Asian Age as "A young student turns into a paranormal investigator to impress her boyfriend." [22] The book is published in an ebook format by Juggernaut Books and it was the Taneja's foray into becoming a hybrid author. [23] Her second novel of the Anantya Tantrist Mystery series, The Matsya Curse, was published in 2017. The third novel of the Anantya Tantrist Mystery series, The Rakta Queen, was published in 2018.

In 2016, Taneja was selected for the Charles Wallace India Fellowship (Chichester University, UK). [24] In 2020, Taneja's short story was a finalist in the French Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire Awards 2020. [25] The short story is about a dystopian future in India where fertile women are treated as commodities. [26] In 2021 she published a children science book They Found What?/They Made What?. [27]

Bibliography

Novels

NameTypePublication yearPublisherISBN
The Rakta Queen: An Anantya Tantrist MysteryNovel2018 HarperCollins 978-9353023294
The Matsya Curse: An Anantya Tantrist MysteryNovel2017HarperCollins978-9352645022
Cult of Chaos: An Anantya Tantrist MysteryNovel2014HarperCollins978-9351364443

Children's books and young adult

NameTypePublication yearPublisherISBN
They Found What?/They Made What?Science2021Hachette India978-9389253979
How to Steal a Ghost @ ManipalNovel2016Juggernaut Books
The Ghost Hunters of KurseongNovel2013 Hachette 978-9350095539

Graphic novels

NameTypePublication yearPublisherISBN
The Skull RosaryGraphic novel2013Holy Cow EntertainmentASIN: B00HNSSUDQ
Krishna: Defender of DharmaGraphic novel2012Campfire Graphic Novels978-9380741710

Short stories

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matsya</span> Fish avatar of Vishnu

Matsya is the fish avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Often described as the first of Vishnu's ten primary avatars, Matsya is described to have rescued the first man, Manu, from a great deluge. Matsya may be depicted as a giant fish, often golden in color, or anthropomorphically with the torso of Vishnu connected to the rear half of a fish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Crowley (author)</span> American writer of speculative fiction (born 1942)

John Crowley is an American author of fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction, and non-fiction. Crowley studied at Indiana University and has a second career as a documentary film writer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Draupadi</span> Character in the Hindu epic Mahabharata

Draupadi, also referred to as Krishnā, Panchali, and Yajnaseni, is the main female protagonist of the ancient Indian epic Mahabharata, and the wife of the five Pandava brothers—Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva. She is noted for her beauty, courage and polyandrous marriage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ian Rankin</span> Scottish author (born 1960)

Sir Ian James Rankin is a Scottish crime writer and philanthropist, best known for his Inspector Rebus novels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunil Gangopadhyay</span> Indian poet and author (1934–2012)

Sunil Gangopadhyay or Sunil Ganguly was an Indian poet, novelist, short story writer, and critic in the Bengali language. He was one of the foremost poets experimenting with new forms, themes, rhythms, and words in Bengali poetry in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1953, along with Deepak Majumder and Ananda Bagchi, he founded the Bengali poetry magazine, Krittibas. He is regarded as one of the most prolific and popular writers in Bengali since Rabindranath Tagore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonathan Stroud</span> British author

Jonathan Anthony Stroud is a British writer of fantasy fiction, best known for the Bartimaeus young adult sequence and Lockwood & Co. children's series. His books are typically set in an alternative history London with fantasy elements, and have received note for his satire, and use of magic to reflect themes of class struggle. The Bartimaeus sequence is the recipient of the Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire and Mythopoeic Fantasy Awards. Stroud's works have also been featured on ALA Notable lists of books for children and young adults. In 2020, Netflix announced a TV series based on Lockwood & Co., with filming initiated in July 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippe Druillet</span> French comics author (born 1944)

Philippe Druillet is a French comics artist and creator, and an innovator in visual design.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bachchan family</span> Indian film family

The Bachchan family is a prominent Indian family associated with and involved in the Hindi film industry and Indian politics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeffrey Ford</span> American novelist

Jeffrey Ford is an American writer in the fantastic genre tradition, although his works have spanned genres including fantasy, science fiction and mystery. His work is characterized by a sweeping imaginative power, humor, literary allusion, and a fascination with tales told within tales. He is a graduate of Binghamton University, where he studied with the novelist John Gardner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catherine Dufour</span> French science fiction writer

Catherine Dufour in Paris, is a French novelist, short story writer and computer scientist. She writes fantasy and science fiction.

<i>Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathirakolapathakathinte Katha</i> (film) 2009 Indian film

Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathirakolapathakathinte Katha is a 2009 Indian Malayalam-language mystery film written and directed by Ranjith, starring Mammootty, Shwetha Menon and Mythili. It is based on the novel of the same name by T. P. Rajeevan,. Mammooty plays three characters in the film. The film was Mythili's debut in cinema. Ranjith also introduced about thirty Malayalam stage artists through this film. The film tells the story of a private detective, who returns to his birthplace, a village called Paleri, to solve a murder mystery that occurred on the same night he was born.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anders Fager</span> Swedish horror writer

Anders Fager Johansson is a Swedish game designer and horror writer.

Rajeev Sivashankar is an Indian novelist and short story writer in Malayalam language. He is from Konni, Pathanamtitta district of the south Indian state of Kerala.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ravi Dubey</span> Indian actor (born 1983)

Ravi Dubey is an Indian actor, model, television presenter and producer. He began his acting career in 2006 with the show Stree Teri Kahani and followed it with roles in shows like Doli Saja Ke (2007) and Yahan Ke Hum Sikandar (2007), before starring in the family drama shows Saas Bina Sasural (2010) and Jamai Raja (2014), which established him as one of the most popular and leading TV actors. He also participated in reality shows Nach Baliye 5 (2012) and Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 8 (2017).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ann Leckie</span> American science fiction author (born 1966)

Ann Leckie is an American author of science fiction and fantasy. Her 2013 debut novel Ancillary Justice, which features artificial consciousness and gender-blindness, won the 2014 Hugo Award for "Best Novel", as well as the Nebula Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award, and the BSFA Award. The sequels, Ancillary Sword and Ancillary Mercy, each won the Locus Award and were nominated for the Nebula Award. Provenance, published in 2017, and Translation State, published in 2023, are also set in the Imperial Radch universe. Leckie's first fantasy novel, The Raven Tower, was published in February 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lakshmi Nandan Bora</span> Indian writer (1932–2021)

Lakshmi Nandan Bora was an Indian novelist and short story writer in the Assamese language, known for over 60 books he has authored, including award winning novels, Patal Bhairavi and Kayakalpa. A recipient of Sahitya Academy Award and Saraswati Samman, Bora was honoured by the Government of India in 2015 with Padma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian award. He died on 3 June 2021, from complications caused by COVID-19.

<i>Masaan</i> 2015 film

Masaan is a 2015 Indian Hindi-language independent drama film starring Richa Chadda and Vicky Kaushal in lead roles. It is Kaushal's debut Hindi film, and also the directorial debut of Neeraj Ghaywan. It is an Indo-French co-production by Drishyam Films, Macassar Productions, Phantom Films, Sikhya Entertainment, Arte France Cinema and Pathé Productions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amruta Patil</span> Indian graphic artist and writer (b. 1979)

Amruta Patil is an Indian graphic novel author and painter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shweta Bachchan Nanda</span> Indian author, journalist, and model (born 1974)

Shweta Bachchan Nanda is an Indian columnist, author, and former model. She has been a columnist for Daily News and Analysis and Vogue India, and is the author of the bestselling novel Paradise Towers. She has worked as a model for television advertisement, and in 2018 launched her own fashion label, MXS.

Preti Taneja FRSL is a British writer, screenwriter and educator. She is currently professor of world literature and creative writing at Newcastle University. Her first novel, We That Are Young, won the Desmond Elliott Prize and was shortlisted for several awards, including the Republic of Consciousness Prize, the Prix Jan Michalski, and the Shakti Bhatt Prize. In 2005, a film she co-wrote was shortlisted for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Taneja's second book, Aftermath, is an account of the 2019 London Bridge terror attack, and describes her knowledge of the victims, as well as her experience having previously taught the perpetrator of the attacks in a prison education programme. It won the Gordon Burn Prize for 2022.

References

  1. ↑ "The Rakta Queen". HarperCollinsPublishers India. Archived from the original on 27 February 2020. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  2. ↑ "HarperCollinsPublishers India | The Matsya Curse". harpercollins.co.in. Archived from the original on 27 February 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  3. ↑ "HarperCollinsPublishers India | Cult of Chaos". harpercollins.co.in. Archived from the original on 27 February 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  4. ↑ "HACHETTE". www.hachetteindia.com. Archived from the original on 18 October 2015. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  5. ↑ "Juggernaut Books". www.juggernaut.in. Archived from the original on 10 March 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  6. ↑ Dutta-Asane, Sucharita. "The Best Asian Speculative Fiction". kitaab. Archived from the original on 4 June 2023. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  7. ↑ "Indian Author Shweta's Short Story Wins Editor's Choice Award". indianobserverpost.com. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  8. ↑ Birnie-Scott, Xavier. "Sommaire de la revue Galaxie 58 SF". Galaxies-SF (in French). Archived from the original on 15 April 2023. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  9. ↑ "Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire 2020 – Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire" (in French). Archived from the original on 7 December 2023. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  10. ↑ "Holy Cow Entertainment | The Skull Rosary". www.holycow.in. Archived from the original on 23 June 2017. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  11. ↑ "Krishna: Defender of Dharma". Campfire. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  12. ↑ "Shweta's articles for Mint". Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  13. ↑ "Shweta Taneja | Scroll.in". scroll.in. Archived from the original on 15 August 2016. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  14. ↑ "Shweta's articles for Huffington Post India". Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  15. ↑ "CBSE Reading Promotion, SNo 94" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  16. ↑ "'I became a writer by chance!': Swetha Padmanabhan - Citizen Matters, Bangalore News". Bangalore.citizenmatters.in. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  17. ↑ Bhumika K. (10 December 2013). "Kids crack a whodunnit". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 29 March 2014. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  18. ↑ "Comic Con India Awards 2013 Nominees Announced: Special Awards for Pran Kumar Sharma and Tinkle Studio". AnimationXpress. 16 January 2014. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  19. ↑ Mini Anthikad-Chhibber (23 February 2015). "Fast, furious and completely magical". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 25 October 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  20. ↑ - Rohini Nair (10 February 2015). "A supernatural detective thriller". The Asian Age. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  21. ↑ Sravasti Datta (4 February 2015). "The thrill in occult". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 25 October 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  22. ↑ "Power of the unknown". asianage.com/. 19 October 2016. Archived from the original on 25 March 2018. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  23. ↑ Chhibber, Mini Anthikad. "Seamlessly moving between worlds". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 24 November 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  24. ↑ Anjum, Zafar (25 January 2016). "The Lounge Chair Interview: 10 Questions with Shweta Taneja". Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  25. ↑ "Shweta Taneja's short story in Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire Awards's shortlist". The Indian Express . 9 February 2020. Archived from the original on 9 February 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  26. ↑ Iyengar, Vidya (10 February 2020). "Shweta Taneja: Forging a French connection". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 11 February 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  27. ↑ "Book introduces children to rare discoveries of Indian scientists". The Indian Express. 22 February 2021. Archived from the original on 21 August 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  28. ↑ "Multispecies Cities". WORLD WEAVER PRESS. Archived from the original on 24 June 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.