Welcome to Mish’s Muse!
I'm a writer, editor, creative writing mentor and interviewer. I'm completing my second novel at the University of Auckland's Master of Creative Writing Programme (2024-2025).
My prose and poetry have been published in critically acclaimed journals like Litro, Eclectica, Out of Print, and The Bombay Literary Magazine among others. My novel You Envy the Coutinhos and Other Migrants in the Middle East is forthcoming from Westland, Tranquebar. My short story collection is represented by Jacaranda Literary Agency. My poetry chapbook Gulf was published by Yavanika Press in 2021. It's available in India and the US.
I was born and raised in Bahrain. My writing focuses on the experiences of South Asian migrants in the Middle East as they are non-existent in Anglophone literature. I'm an alumna of the Kolam Writers' Residency, Pondicherry, 2023. My work has been longlisted for prizes like the DNA-Out of Print Short Fiction Contest 2015, 2016 and 2017, the TOTO Award for Creative Writing 2021, and the Commonwealth Short Story Prize 2025.
As an editor, I have worked with Bound, a storytelling company based out of Mumbai, for 6 years. In the past decade, I've worked with many B2B and B2C clients to create powerful stories. The manuscripts I've edited have been placed with top publishers. I'm drawn to character driven narratives focusing on issues of migration and identity. I've edited fiction for Jaggery Literary Magazine before founding my journal Kaani. I'm an alumna of the Seagull School of Publishing, Calcutta, 2022. I was a juror for Publishing Next's Editor of the Year Award 2022 and 2023.
I've taught creative writing and literature to thousands of writers through workshops. I've also mentored selective writers who have gone on to win awards, publish books, pursue MFA programs and secure jobs in publishing. I've conducted and organised creative writing classes for brands like Mastree by Unacademy, Peppercontent, Teach for India and others. I aim to mentor as many South Asian writers as I can and strive to undo our stereotypes in storytelling.
My enthusiasm to get to know other creatives has led me to interview over 100 talented writers like Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, Amitav Ghosh, Sonia Faleiro, Amitava Kumar, Diksha Basu and others. Books and Beyond, the author interview podcast she hosts, ranks in the top 1.5% of podcasts globally with 4 million listens in 150+ countries.
Armed with a Bcom degree from Mount Carmel College, Bangalore and an MBA degree from Christ University, Bangalore, I combine my love for creativity and my background in commerce to make the publishing industry accessible.
