Zara Chowdhary
Zara Chowdhary | |
|---|---|
| Born | Chennai, India |
| Occupation | Writer, producer, educator |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Education | University of Leeds (MA) Iowa State University (MFA) |
| Genre | Memoir, creative nonfiction |
| Notable works | The Lucky Ones |
| Notable awards | Shakti Bhatt Prize (2025) |
| Website | |
| www | |
Zara Chowdhary is an Indian writer, producer, and educator. Her debut memoir, The Lucky Ones, was published in 2024 and received critical acclaim. She is the winner of the 2025 Shakti Bhatt Prize.
Early life and education
[edit]Chowdhary was born in Chennai, India. She earned a Master of Arts in Writing for Performance from the University of Leeds and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and Environment from Iowa State University.[1]
Career
[edit]Before becoming a full-time writer and educator, Chowdhary worked in film, advertising, and media production for over a decade. Her work has been featured on Channel V, National Geographic India, and Turner Classic Movies.[1]
Chowdhary is currently a lecturer at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where she teaches courses in Hindi, South Asian cultures, protest poetry, and creative nonfiction.[1][2] Her writing has been published in various anthologies and journals, including New Moons edited by Kazim Ali, Flyway Journal, and Cotton Xenomorph.[1]
The Lucky Ones
[edit]Chowdhary's debut memoir, The Lucky Ones, was published by Crown Publishing Group in 2024.[3] The book is a personal account of her experience as a sixteen-year-old during the 2002 Gujarat riots.[4] The memoir explores themes of trauma, family, and the rise of Hindutva in India.[5]
The Lucky Ones received widespread critical acclaim.[6][7] It was named one of the ten best nonfiction books of 2024 by Time magazine,[8][9] and was included in best-of-the-year lists by NPR, Esquire, and Ms.[9][10] The book received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews and Publishers Weekly.[3][11]
In 2025, Chowdhary was awarded the final iteration of Shakti Bhatt Prize for The Lucky Ones.[4]
Personal life
[edit]Chowdhary resides in Madison, Wisconsin, with her family.[2]
Works
[edit]- Chowdhary, Zara (2024). The Lucky Ones. Crown Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0593727430.
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "About Zara - Zara Chowdhary". zarachowdhary.com. Retrieved 2024-09-29.
- ^ a b "Widely acclaimed author Zara Chowdhary to read from debut memoir at Lycoming College". Lycoming College. Retrieved 2024-09-29.
- ^ a b "THE LUCKY ONES". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 2024-09-29.
- ^ a b "Zara Chowdhary wins 2025 Shakti Bhatt award for debut memoir". The Hindu. 2025-06-27. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 2025-06-27. Retrieved 2024-09-29.
- ^ "Q&A with Zara Chowdhary, author of "The Lucky Ones"". Madison365. 2024-09-09. Retrieved 2024-09-29.
- ^ Tiwary, Varsha (2025-01-14). "Book Review: In Her Memoir 'The Lucky Ones', Zara Chowdhary Refuses to Let Trauma Define Her Identity". Frontline. Archived from the original on 2025-06-27. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
- ^ "All Book Marks reviews for The Lucky Ones: A Memoir by Zara Chowdhary". Book Marks. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
- ^ Gutterman, Annabel (2024-12-10). "The 10 Best Nonfiction Books of 2024". TIME. Archived from the original on 2025-06-27. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
- ^ a b "Zara Chowdhary, The Lucky Ones: A Memoir (Book Talk & Review)". events.berkeley.edu. Retrieved 2024-09-29.
- ^ "Zara Chowdhary — The Anjali Singh Agency". www.anjalisinghagency.com. Retrieved 2024-09-29.
- ^ "The Lucky Ones: A Memoir by Zara Chowdhary". www.publishersweekly.com. Archived from the original on 2025-06-27. Retrieved 2025-06-27.