Meet the Author Webinar Series
Meet SABA Award Winners!
The South Asia Book Award (SABA) Meet the Author Webinar Series invites educators, librarians, students, and readers to engage with the creators of three exceptional books that illuminate the experiences, histories, and cultures of South Asia and the South Asian diaspora. This virtual series offers participants the opportunity to hear directly from acclaimed authors and illustrators as they discuss their creative processes, inspirations, and the themes that shape their work.
This year’s series features Midnight Motorbike by Maureen Shay Tajsar, illustrated by Ishita Jain; The Freedom Seeker by Ruchira Gupta; and Fitting Indian: A Graphic Novel by Jyoti Chand, illustrated by Tara Anand. Together, these award-recognized books explore themes of family, migration, identity, belonging, resilience, and self-discovery, offering readers meaningful entry points into contemporary and historical South Asian experiences.
Upcoming Events
Tues Dec 15, 2026, 4-5 pm cst
Midnight Motorbike
The webinar featuring Midnight Motorbike will be moderated by Dr. Saba Khan Vlach, Professor at the University of Iowa and a member of the South Asia Book Award Committee. Dr. Khan Vlach will lead a conversation with author Maureen Shay Tajsar and illustrator Ishita Jain about the creation of this lyrical story celebrating family, place, and the sensory richness of a moonlit journey through South India.
Fri Jan 22, 2027, 4-5 pm cst
Fitting Indian
As graphic novels become increasingly important tools for fostering literacy, empathy, and global understanding, Fitting Indian offers a compelling example of visual storytelling’s potential. Join Dr. Ritu Radhakrishnan (SUNY Oswego) and Jyoti Chand for a webinar exploring the author’s path to publishing her debut graphic novel, approaches to addressing difficult topics through the graphic novel format, and the significance of South Asian representation in contemporary literature for young readers. This webinar is offered jointly through the South Asia Book Award Meet the Author Series for 2026 and the Wisconsin International Resource Consortium’s International Children’s Literature Series: Teaching Global Visual Storytelling.
Date TBA
The Freedom Seeker
The webinar will be moderated by Dr. Ritu Radhakrishnan, Professor at SUNY Oswego and a member of the South Asia Book Award Committee. Drawing on her expertise in children’s and young adult literature, Dr. Radhakrishnan will facilitate discussions with author Ruchira Gupta that explore immigrant experiences, identity, mental health, cultural expectations, and the power of storytelling to foster empathy and understanding.
SABA is working to finalize a date for late winter 2027 for this event.
From the wonder-filled landscapes of Midnight Motorbike, to the moving immigration journey at the heart of The Freedom Seeker, to the candid exploration of adolescence and belonging in Fitting Indian, each webinar will offer rich opportunities to connect with authors and illustrators whose work broadens perspectives and sparks meaningful conversations.
Participants will gain insight into the writing and illustration processes behind these stories, learn about the cultural and social contexts that inform these works, and discover ways to bring these stories into classrooms, libraries, and community discussions. Whether you are an educator seeking to enrich your curriculum, a librarian looking to expand collections, or a reader eager to engage with outstanding literature, the 2026-2027 SABA Meet the Author Webinar Series promises inspiring conversations that celebrate the power of books to build connections, deepen understanding, and elevate unique voices.
Registrants will receive Zoom links for each webinar the week before each session. For more information on the South Asia Book Award, please contact us at saba@southasia.wisc.edu – we look forward to hearing from you!