I was born and raised in the vibrant city of Kolkata, India, where my love for stories began to take root early on. My schooling years were spent at Dolna Day School, after which I pursued higher education at Jadavpur University. There, I earned three degrees in Comparative Literature, each one deepening my passion for writing.
Since the age of six, I knew I wanted to be a writer. This dream became a reality in 2012 when my first book, The Secret Proposal, was published by General Press. It was the beginning of a journey that would see me collaborate with General Press on two more novels, When Our Worlds Collide and When Our Worlds Meet Again. Along the way, I also penned a young adult novel titled All Signs Lead Back to You, which was brought to life by Bee Books. Many of my stories draw inspiration from the people I've met and the experiences I've had, turning real-life moments into the fictional worlds I create.
My connection to the literary scene in Kolkata has been profound, leading me to serve as the Festival Coordinator for the Kolkata Literature Festival, a part of the International Kolkata Book Fair, for three consecutive years. Although I eventually stepped away from active involvement in the publishing industry, this experience provided me with the insight to launch and run BUZZ, an online literary magazine that thrived for many years. Unfortunately, I had to close it down in late 2022 when the demands of my various responsibilities became overwhelming.
In 2017, during my second year in the publishing industry, I had the incredible opportunity to participate in a writer's exchange as part of an Indo-Wales project. This experience took me to Wales, where I explored the theme, "How Places Inspire People to Write." It was a transformative period in my life, not only because I spoke at the prestigious Hay Festival but also because I met literary icons like Stephen Fry and Neil Gaiman.
Shortly after this, I moved to Mumbai, where I began working as a Content Writer for an ad agency. Despite the demands of my day job, I continued to write, publishing two more books during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic: The Backyard Tales and Raashi Ghoshal Will Find Her Prince Charming. It was during this chaotic time, when the world was in lockdown, that I also created, produced, hosted, and edited a YouTube series called Chai & Chill. The series ran successfully for four seasons before going on hiatus.
Being a romance author piqued my interest in modern love and dating, leading me to explore these themes further. Alongside a friend and colleague, Aashna Iyer, I co-created, produced, and hosted a podcast called Modern Dating Be Like, which was recognized by Midday as their Podcast of the Week in 2022.
In that same year, to mark the 10-year anniversary of The Secret Proposal, a special edition of the book was re-released by Indie Press (formerly Westland Books), featuring bonus scenes that hadn't made it into the original version. Even a decade later, readers remained deeply invested in the lives of the book's protagonists, Jasmine and Veer.
As I continued to write and publish, I also sought to find my place in the professional world. I worked briefly with various agencies, publishing houses, and even a travel company, all within their marketing and content departments. However, I often felt unfulfilled in these roles, as writing fiction has always been my true passion. I am now slowly working towards making it my full-time profession.
Throughout my decade-long career, I've dabbled in nearly every writing format imaginable—from audio scripts, comic scripts, and graphic novel scripts to choice-based mobile game scripts, novels, short stories, blogs, and research papers. I've often joked that the only thing I haven't written yet is a screenplay, but that's something I'm planning to tackle soon.
When I'm not writing, you can usually find me taking online courses, delving into the mysteries of Tarot cards, or sketching cartoons inspired by real-life incidents. Since 2012, I've managed to release at least one book per year, much to the delight of my readers. Like many other authors today, I've embraced the independent publishing route, releasing my books on Kindle Unlimited.
I also offer guidance to aspiring authors, helping them navigate the often-confusing world of publishing. You can book a consultation with me via my TopMate page right here: https://topmate.io/aniesha_brahma
The stories I write are often inspired by real people and real-life experiences. My friends and acquaintances have been a significant influence on the characters and storylines I create. In fact, friendship is one of the most important aspects of my life, and the friends I had before my writing career began are still by my side today.
When I'm not immersed in the world of words, I enjoy learning to crochet, playing the guitar, blasting Taylor Swift's songs, and indulging in the thrill of solving murder mysteries. While romance has been my primary genre, I'm currently working on crafting a compelling murder mystery.
These days, I split my time between Kolkata and Mumbai. I share my life with two adorable cats, Felix and Mauii, who were a great source of inspiration for The Backyard Tales. In addition to my writing, I work as a Content Writer for various agencies and take on commissioned editing projects for select publishers. I'm active on social media, so you can easily connect with me @aniesha_brahma.
