WINNER, 2025 Information Book Awards - CHILDREN'S CHOICE
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Shortlisted, 2025 Peters Children's Book of the Year
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Shortlisted, 2025 Stanford Children's Travel Book of the Year
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Shortlisted, 2024 Inclusive Book Awards
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Winner, 2023 Diverse Book Awards
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Winner, 2023 Children's Book Council Awards
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Shortlisted, 2023 Jhalak Prize
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Winner, 2022 Anna Dewdney Read-Together Award
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Shortlisted, 2022 Blue Peter Book Awards, Best Book with Facts
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Winner, 2022 Books For Topics Classroom Favourite Award
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Shortlisted, 2022 Teach Primary Book Awards
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Winner, 2022 Books For Topics Best Classroom Read-Aloud Award
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Winner, 2021 Society of Authors Queen’s Knickers Award
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Shortlisted, 2021 Sainsbury’s Children’s Book Award
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Winner, 2021 North Somerset Teachers’ Book Award
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WINNER, 2025 Information Book Awards - CHILDREN'S CHOICE ☆ Shortlisted, 2025 Peters Children's Book of the Year ☆ Shortlisted, 2025 Stanford Children's Travel Book of the Year ☆ Shortlisted, 2024 Inclusive Book Awards ☆ Winner, 2023 Diverse Book Awards ☆ Winner, 2023 Children's Book Council Awards ☆ Shortlisted, 2023 Jhalak Prize ☆ Winner, 2022 Anna Dewdney Read-Together Award ☆ Shortlisted, 2022 Blue Peter Book Awards, Best Book with Facts ☆ Winner, 2022 Books For Topics Classroom Favourite Award ☆ Shortlisted, 2022 Teach Primary Book Awards ☆ Winner, 2022 Books For Topics Best Classroom Read-Aloud Award ☆ Winner, 2021 Society of Authors Queen’s Knickers Award ☆ Shortlisted, 2021 Sainsbury’s Children’s Book Award ☆ Winner, 2021 North Somerset Teachers’ Book Award ☆
Rashmi Sirdeshpande,
Children’s Author
Hello!
I’m Rashmi, an award-winning children’s author who writes a happy mix of picture books, poetry, fiction and factual books.
I was recently Writer-in-Residence at BookTrust, the UK’s largest children’s reading charity. I was also an official World Book Day author for 2022. My picture book This is Who I Am was in The Guardian’s list of the best children’s books of 2025. Meanwhile, Amazing Asia was shortlisted for the 2025 Stanford Travel Children’s Book of the Year and won Children’s Choice at the School Library Association’s 2025 Information Book Awards.
Readers Say…
“An ambitious, absorbing celebration of the world’s most populous continent… From food to music, religion to science, this fascinating 9+ immersion in all things Asian features rich, colourful illustrations that perfectly complement the text.”
– The Guardian: Amazing Asia
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“Empowering, reassuring and filled with hope, this feels like a very necessary book for children and young people.”
– The Bookseller: Good News
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“Rashmi Sirdeshpande’s This Is Who I Am (Andersen), illustrated by Ruchi Mhasane, is a moving celebration of identity, at once softly gorgeous and fierce. A child born of immigrant parents, with “a foot in two worlds”, is both “little fingers strumming a guitar / and the sweet notes of the sitar”; she is the strength to overcome racist resistance, and the “courage and patience” of freedom fighters; she is “every page of our shared history”.
– The Guardian: This is Who I Am
Illustration from Never Show a T-Rex a Book: Diane Ewen
As Seen In…
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World Book Day Author 2022
I was so honoured to be an official World Book Day author for 2022 with the £1 book Think Like a Boss: Discover the skills that turn great ideas into cash. It’s illustrated by Adam Hayes and it’s all about thinking like an entrepreneur. Have a look at my Think Like a Boss Author & Illustrator Academy workshop and see if you can come up with your own fantasy business idea!
More on all the magic of World Book Day 2022 in this blog post here:
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Author Events
I love visiting schools and festivals and talking about all things reading for pleasure, picture books, and fantastic factual books for all of primary.
I’ve done events for, among others, Edinburgh Literature Festival, Hay Festival, Seven Stories, Puffin Schools, and a number of schools and library services.
