Veera Hiranandani is the award-winning author of several books for young people. Veera grew up in Connecticut, the daughter of a Jewish-American mother and a Hindu father. Her stories explore the intersection of cultures and characters who have to navigate multiple identities. Her book, The Night Diary, was a Newbery Honor book in 2019. She teaches creative writing at Sarah Lawrence College’s Writing Institute, helping students to develop their voices as writers and understand how to use the craft to tell their stories.