Biographical note

Thushanthi Ponweera is an author and poet from Sri Lanka. Before daring to follow her dream of being published, she was a marketing specialist and entrepreneur. Her writing reflects the frustration she feels at the inequality and injustice she sees around her and the deep love she feels for her island home. Thushanthi currently lives in Qatar with her husband and two children.

Maithili Joshi likes a rich, textured finish to her work, which tends to be playful, delicate, and subtly whimsical. Childhood anecdotes, books, and interesting conversations inspire her more personal creations. Her art has been recognized by the New York and Los Angeles chapters of the Society of Illustrators. After graduating from the School of Visual Arts, Maithili is illustrating picture books as well as designing middle grade covers for Scholastic, where she works full time.