Swati Avasthi is an Indian-American writer of fiction and a professor. Her first young adult novel, ''

Split Split(s) or The Split may refer to: Places * Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia * Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay * Split Island, Falkland Islands * Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua Arts, entertain ...

'', receiving several awards including Cybils Young Adult Fiction Award and a Parents’ Choice 2010 Silver Award. In 2009, her short story "Swallow" was nominated for the

Pushcart Prize The Pushcart Prize is an American literary prize published by Pushcart Press that honors the best "poetry, short fiction, essays or literary whatnot" published in the small presses over the previous year. Magazine and small book press editors ar ...

and was listed in 2009 Best American New Voices collection. ''Chasing Shadows'' is her second novel, published in 2013, and was listed as "Best of 2013" book by Kirkus, YALSA, and Bank Street. She has taught for

Hamline University Hamline University is a private liberal arts college in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Founded in 1854, Hamline is known for its emphasis on experiential learning, service, and social justice. The university is named after Bishop Leonidas Lent Hamline ...

, at the

Anoka-Ramsey Community College Anoka-Ramsey Community College is a public community college in Cambridge and Coon Rapids, Minnesota. Founded in 1965, the college annually serves more than 12,500 students as they pursue associate degrees that transfer as the first two years of ...

, and at the

Loft Literary Center The Loft Literary Center is a non-profit literary organization located in Minneapolis, Minnesota incorporated in 1975. The Loft is a large and comprehensive independent literary center, and offers a variety of writing classes, conferences, grants ...

in the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) and Master of Fine Arts (MFA) programs.

Biography

Avasthi moved from India to

Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding i ...

, where she studied till the age of 18 and her desire was to become a fiction writer. She went to the University of Chicago for a bachelors in humanities with an emphasis on theater. Before studying law, she started working at Victory Gardens Theater for a year. For three years she worked for the Pro Bono Advocates in Cook County in the role of a paralegal and coordinator in the domestic violence clinic. She provided legal assistance in the civil court to abuse victims seeking emergency orders. She was married to John Yopp and the pair moved to

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the List of U.S. states and territories by population, 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minne ...

in 1997 to attend law school. Shortly after, Avasthi gave birth to her first child, and took a leave of absence from law school to raise him. However, in 2000 she left law studies and began writing before the birth of her second child in 2001. She developed her writing skills at the Loft Literary Center in

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with list of lakes in Minneapolis, thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. ...

. She received the in the Loft Mentor Series Award, where she was mentored by

Pete Hautman Peter Murray Hautman (born September 29, 1952) is an American author best known for his novels for young adults. One of them, '' Godless'', won the 2004 National Book Award for Young People's Literature. The National Book Foundation summary is, "A ...

, a young adult author, and

Shay Youngblood Shay Youngblood (born 1959) is a novelist, playwright, and author of short stories. Youngblood has worked as a public information assistant for WPBA in Atlanta and as a Peace Corps volunteer in Dominica. Early life and education Shay Youngblo ...

, a writer of novels and plays. From 2007-2010, she pursued studies for an MFA at the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Tw ...

. Here she received a fellowship from the University to complete her debut novel ''Split'', which she finished by 2008. It was put to auction and the first bidder, Knopf, published it in 2010. Her second novel is ''Chasing Shadows'', which was also published in 2013 by Knopf. In 2011 she began teaching at

and later at Minnesota University.

Awards

As a young adult fiction writer she received the following awards and nominations. #Young Adult Services Division, # School Library Journal Author #Nomination for Bank Street Child Study Children’s Book Award #Nomination for IRA Children’s Book Award for Younger Readers #Nomination for Kentucky Bluegrass Award #Nomination for Louisiana Young Reader’s Choice #Nomination for Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Award #Nomination for Oklahoma Sequoyah Children’s Book Award #Nomination for Rhode Island Teen Book Award

Works

* *

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Avasthi, Swati Living people Novelists from Minnesota American young adult novelists 21st-century American novelists American novelists of Indian descent American women novelists American women writers of Indian descent Indian emigrants to the United States University of Chicago alumni University of Minnesota alumni Hamline University faculty Women writers of young adult literature 1970s births 21st-century American women writers American women academics