American Book Awards
1 appearances
-
Edition 32 (2011) Winner
Neela Vaswani
ニ−ラ・ヴァスワーニ
Neela Vaswani
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- Port Jefferson, New York, United States
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Port Jefferson, New York (birthplace) → New York City (resident)
Career
- Occupations
- Writer, Narrator, Educator, Founder
- Active Years
- 1996-
- Affiliations
- Storylines Project (founder), New York Public Library (collaboration)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skidmore College | — | — | — | — | United States |
| Vermont College of Fine Arts | — | — | — | — | United States |
| University of Maryland | — | — | — | — | United States |
Skidmore College
Country:
United States
Vermont College of Fine Arts
Country:
United States
University of Maryland
Country:
United States
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Grammy Award (Best Children's Album) | I Am Malala (audio narration) | Best Children's Album | The Recording Academy | 受賞 |
Grammy Award (Best Children's Album)
2015
Work:
I Am Malala (audio narration)
Category:
Best Children's Album
Organization:
The Recording Academy
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Same Sun Here (co-authored)
Children's / Young AdultA story focusing on friendship and identity across regions and cultures told through the perspectives of two young protagonists. Co-authored with Silas House.
FriendshipImmigration/DiasporaCultural exchange
Where the Long Grass Bends
FictionA work that delicately portrays landscapes and human relationships, featuring vivid point-of-view writing and place-based description.
Sense of placeMemoryPersonal growth
This Is My Eye
Picture book / Children'sA picture book that explores changes in perspective and urban landscapes through a child's eye, encouraging readers to reexamine their surroundings.
PerspectivePhotographyUrban life
You Have Given Me a Country
Essay / Memoir-likeA collection or memoir-like work dealing with belonging, roots, and family stories, centering on immigrant experience and identity.
BelongingFamilyCultural identity
Bibliography
- Same Sun Here (co-authored)
- Where the Long Grass Bends
- This Is My Eye
- You Have Given Me a Country
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Concise, descriptive prose that moves between children's and adult audiencesNarrative emphasis on shifting perspectives
- Recurring Motifs
- Shifts of perspectiveUrban landscapesImmigration/diaspora experience
Legacy
Neela Vaswani is a writer who reaches broad audiences through children's literature and multicultural narratives; she has also been recognized in audio production with a 2015 Grammy. She is known for educational initiatives such as the Storylines Project in collaboration with the New York Public Library.
Quotes
-
“While a few spreads digress less usefully, albeit playfully, it's that emphasis on varying perspectives that makes this valuable, since kids in all kinds of places will benefit from the prompt to reexamine their surroundings through fresh eyes.”
Source: Deborah Stevenson, Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (2018)
Trivia
- Married to actor Holter Graham.
- Narrated the audio edition of Malala Yousafzai's I Am Malala and won a Grammy in 2015.
- Founder of the Storylines Project.
- Studied at Skidmore College, Vermont College of Fine Arts, and the University of Maryland (specific graduation years not specified).
- Resident of New York City.