About Me
Hi! I’m Rashmi. I’m a children’s author and the current BookTrust Writer-in-Residence and I’ve recently been diagnosed as being autistic with ADHD. That explains my fantastic fizzy brain! I LOVE learning about new things…
Anything, really: languages, interesting (and extraordinary!) people, things, events, and ideas. Stuff that surprises me, stuff that takes my breath away, stuff I never knew I never knew…
When I come across something that excites me, I have to tell someone. Writing non-fiction books is basically my way of saying, ‘OH MY GOODNESS, you have GOT to listen to this…it’s AMAZING’.
But it’s not all about the facts. Sometimes, I make things up. You see, I’ve been telling stories since I was tiny. My mum says that when I was 4, I told my teacher that I was an Indian princess. Apparently, my teacher even asked her about it at parents’ evening JUST IN CASE it was true.
It wasn’t.
The first bit IS true though - I’m Indian. British Indian. Growing up, I didn’t see many children like me in books. I didn’t see many authors like me on the bookshelves. I had always loved writing but it took me a while to realise that I could be a writer.
I started out as a lawyer but gave up my job - which I loved - to spend more time stretching and squeezing words into stories.
Then, at the end of 2017, I entered a big writing competition. I didn’t expect to make it through but I DID! I was selected as one of 11 writers on the 2018 Penguin Random House WriteNow mentoring programme. Turns out they liked my writing. Turns out people like me can be writers. I signed with Puffin Books and the rest, as they say, is history!
And now? I live the best life.
Discovering new things, dreaming up stories, and making books with the most amazing illustrators. And having a LOT of fun while I’m at it.
Illustrations above and below: Diane Ewen (dinos!) + Rikin Parekh (Cow and co!)
Things you might not know about me
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When I was little, I made up my own language.
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I can’t stand ONIONS.
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I talk to myself ALL THE TIME.
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I have bounced to hip hop beats at No. 10 Downing Street!
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I’m either SUPER NEAT or SUPER MESSY. No in-between.
Shiny Awards
Wins!
2023 Diverse Book Awards - WINNER - Picture Books - Dadaji’s Paintbrush
2023 Children’s Book Council Awards - WINNER - Teachers’ Favourite - Never Teach a Stegosaurus To Do Sums
2023 Children’s Book Council Awards - WINNER - Children’s Favourite - Never Teach a Stegosaurus To Do Sums
2022 Books For Topics Book of the Year Awards - WINNER, Best Class Read-aloud - Dadaji’s Paintbrush
2022 Books For Topics Book of the Year Awards - WINNER, Children’s Favourite - Never Let a Diplodocus Draw
2022 Anna Dewdney Read-Together Award - WINNER - Never Show a T-Rex a Book
2022 TVED Picture Book Award - WINNER - Yes You Can, Cow!
2021 Society of Authors Queen’s Knickers Award - WINNER - Never Show a T-Rex a Book
2021 North Somerset Teachers’ Book Award - WINNER - How To Change The World, illustrated by Annabel Tempest
Shortlists/LONGLISTS
2024 Inclusive Book Awards SHORTLIST - Picture Books - Dadaji’s Paintbrush
2023 Jhalak Prize SHORTLIST - Dadaji’s Paintbrush
2023 UKLA Picture Books LONGLIST - Yes You Can Cow
2023 Whatever It Takes Leicester Schools’ Best Picture Book SHORTLIST - Yes You Can Cow
2023 Derby Book Festival’s Children’s Picture Book Awards LONGLIST - Yes You Can Cow
2023 Cogan Primary Book Awards SHORTLIST - Yes You Can Cow
2022 Woke Babies Best Picture Book - SHORTLIST - Never Teach a Stegosaurus To Do Sums
2022 Teach Primary Book Awards SHORTLIST - Good News
2022 Blue Peter Book Awards, Best Book with Facts - SHORTLIST - Good News
2022 Lollies (Laugh-Out-Loud Book Award) - SHORTLIST - Never Show a T-Rex a Book
2022 UKLA Book Awards - LONGLIST - Dosh/Cash2021
2021 Books for Topics Books of the Year - SHORTLIST - Good News and Never Teach a Stegosaurus To Do Sums
2021 Sainsbury’s Children’s Book Award - SHORTLIST - Never Teach a Stegosaurus To Do Sums
Other Stuff I Do
I'm Patron of Reading at a gorgeous school in Harrogate, with a long-term role encouraging a love of reading!
I'm Picture Book Writer-in-Residence for 2022 at WriteMentor where I run webinars and live workshops on writing picture books and share monthly blog posts on the behind-the-scenes of being a writer!
Latest Books
