Sudha Murty was born in 1950 in Shiggaon, north Karnataka. A prolific writer in English and Kannada, she has written novels, technical books, travelogues, collections of short stories and non-fiction pieces, and bestselling books for children. Her books have been translated into all major Indian languages. She weaves magical tales and especially enjoys writing for young readers. A generation of children has grown up reading her books and her stories are available in textbooks across schools in India.