Dr. Swetha Raghunathan / Swetha Prakash

Dr. Swetha Raghunathan (also publishing as Swetha Prakash) is a writer–researcher whose work sits at the intersection of Indian Cultural Studies, Prakrit Studies, and storytelling narrative practices. Her scholarship is shaped by a dual commitment: recovering the textures of India’s classical knowledge systems and translating them into contemporary pedagogical, journalistic, and narrative forms. She brings a transnational lens to questions of cultural memory, women’s learning, and the ethics of narration.

Her professional practice spans multiple domains. As a cultural journalist, she writes on Indian classical arts, aesthetic lineages, and the lived worlds of performers and practitioners. As a curriculum designer, she is the founder of School Story Curriculum, Story Practices, and Learn Curve for Girls, Touchstone Alice — initiatives that integrate narrative psychology, reflective writing, and arts-based inquiry to support adolescent wellbeing and creative confidence.

Swetha’s academic training includes an MA in Writing from the University of Warwick, a Creative Writing Certificate from the University of Edinburgh, and doctoral-level research in psychology at the National School of Leadership. Her work is marked by intellectual range, methodological curiosity, and a sustained interest in how stories shape identity, agency, and cultural belonging.

Dr. R Lakshmi Priya

Dr. R. Lakshmi Priya, is Founder and CEO of Pachyderm Tales, a creative platform that facilitates translation, editing, compiling, cover designing and publication. She has worked with more than 200 books in 14 languages. Her ardent love for voicing women’s rights has led her to campaign for a global networking platform for women from all walks of life, cutting across spatial zones. She spearheads the campaign for recognising and arranging award shows as a part of women empowerment program. She is also passionate about translating Tamil literary works to English and vice versa, which feeds her passion for literature. She has translated Bava Chelladurai’s (Kathai Solli) Pangu Kariyum Pin Iravugalum into English, Swetha Prakash’s How Eland Twisted its Horns into Tamil and at present she has translated Haruki Murakami’s Sputnik Sweetheart into Tamil, for Ethir publishing house. At present she is working on translation of Abdul Razak Gurnah along with 4 other writers. She has published an anthology of Horror short stories published by Ukiyoto, a Canadian based publishing house. She is a visiting professor in Jenderal Soedirman University, Indonesia and Royal University of Bhutan. She has delivered lectures in more than 30 universities in India and abroad. She received a doctorate from Bharathidasan University on the title Decanonizing the sleuth: An Analysis of Postmodern Anti-Detective fiction, she is working on its publication at present.

Uma Aparna

Uma Aparna is CMO of Pachyderm Tales, who is a storyteller, editor and Tamil book compiler. She has worked in 200 book projects, including 5 books on transgender writers and gender dysphoria. She has unique experience of working with people who are above 50 years old. So far she has worked with geriatrics in motivating them towards creativity and published around 20 books. She works with grandparents and facilitates their communication to future generation through their stories. She conducts regular events and contests for children with various institutions including government bodies. Recently she worked on poetry and painting contest for school and college students with municipality. She has won Thai Ullam Award and Global Citizen Award for her community development activity. She has actively conducted Tamil Nadu Women Achiever’s Award and brought in around 30 civil services officers to be a part of the women empowerment campaign. Her book Kannadi, which translates into mirror belongs to tamil feminist collection comprising of stories of women from 5 to 80.

She has recently won prestigious cash award by Suvadu, Tamil Publication house for her short story on Body Shaming titled ‘Kundu Thevathai’. She is vocal about students education and had taught painting to differently abled students. She is a painter and a designer, who has done saree and jewellery designing before she joined Pachyderm Tales. She has also performed a long stint as journalist for ‘Om Shakti’ as a temple journalist, visiting various temples in Andhra Pradesh. Her articles on Lepakshi, Haimavathi and Penukonda were published and garnered positive reviews leading to many visiting these temples.  This experience of interacting with women of India influenced her and she is at present writing a feminist narrative of different states that she visited during her travel.