Namita Gokhale is the author of twenty-seven books and the co-founder and co-director of the Jaipur Literature Festival, along with William Dalrymple. Her debut novel, Paro: Dreams of Passion (1984), has remained in print for over four decades and was recently issued as a Penguin Modern Classic. Gokhale is deeply committed to literary dialogue and cross-cultural exchange while showcasing the rich diversity of the multilingual Indian identity. She received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2021 for Things to Leave Behind, Asam Sahitya Sabha’s first-ever Centenary National Award for Literature in 2017, the prestigious Bhartendu Harishchandra Lifetime Achievement Award in 2026, and more. Her recent works include Treasures of Lakshmi, Mystics and Sceptics, Never Never Land, Whispering Mountains and Voices in the Wind.