(April 19, 2024) From the age of ten, while her Indian American peers discussed aspirations of becoming doctors or engineers, Malavika Kannan held a clear dream of becoming an author. And in 2020 at the age of 18, her dream finally came true with the release of her debut novel, The Bookweaver’s Daughter. The award-winning book is inspired by Indian mythology and a younger Malavika’s view on female friendship. It follows a 14-year-old girl with magical abilities who confronts the tyrannical ruler of the fictional realm of Kashmiri. Inspired by writers and thinkers such as Arundhati Roy, Zora Neale Hurston, and Amiya Srinivasan, the writer has penned another novel All the Yellow Suns, which was released in 2023.
Currently an undergraduate at Stanford University, Malavika recently added another feather to her already colourful hat by winning the prestigious Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans. “I really do think stories have a lot of power to impact the way we discuss issues, power, and the way we centre people in conversations. I want to use storytelling to address a lot of issues that are faced by brown women, young women, and queer women,” shared the author during a recent interview.
Connected to her roots
Born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, the author grew up in Central Florida in a tightly-knit community of Indian immigrant families. Her parents both emigrated from South India in the 1990s, and Malavika’s earliest memories include regular visits to the public library with her parents, putting on ridiculous plays with her sister, and listening to stories of Indian mythology from her grandparents.
“I clearly remember that being an author was the only dream I had, ever since I could even dream,” laughed the author, adding, “We would visit my grandmother during summers in India, and she would tell me a lot of stories—Indian mythology and other folklores. And I was so fascinated by it. Before I learnt how to write, I remember telling my mom stories, and she would write them down for me.”
Interestingly, the idea of her first book – The Bookweaver’s Daughter – came to Malavika when she was still in school. “I had the idea for it when I was 12 years old. I also wrote a version of the book in high school, when I was in the middle of my Young Adult fantasy reading phase. It’s ultimately a story about a girl who’s trying to unlock her powers – about how language and storytelling can be used as a force for change. And I’ve placed her in this world of ancient Indian mythology, which had the characters I grew up reading and loving as a kid,” shared the Global Indian.
ALSO READ | Kiara Kaur’s journey through books, speeches and world records
An activist
Growing up in Florida, Malavika, like many others her age, witnessed the effects of gun violence, police brutality, and racism in her community. At the age of 16, she had her first distinctively American experience when she and her high school peers coordinated a school-wide walkout to protest gun violence. Throughout her teenage years, Malavika actively worked with organisations such as March For Our Lives, the Women’s March, and Giffords to advocate for safer and more equitable communities.
The author’s early involvement as an organiser deeply shapes her approach to writing, which she sees as both politically charged and community-driven. Through her work, she explores themes of identity, culture, and politics, contributing to publications such as The Washington Post, Teen Vogue, Refinery29, and The San Francisco Chronicle. With an online following nearing 50,000, her writing resonates widely.
“I want to amplify people who are doing the frontline work of eliminating these issues, and also support them,” shared the author. “I want to talk about unspoken power dynamics in our society. I want to talk about how systemic issues can affect one person in the course of their own narrative journey. We as a community can directly take care of each other without having to wait for the government, an election, or a march. We can just do it ourselves.”
ALSO READ | Shreya Gupta, the young author making a global impact
A long road ahead
A senior at Stanford University (batch 2024), Malavika has delved into creative writing, South Asian studies, and women’s literature during her academic journey. Graduating with a BA in comparative studies in race and ethnicity, the author has submitted two honours theses: one exploring Dalit women’s environmental writing and the other a literary novel depicting college student during the pandemic.
“I’m looking to further refine my literary skills by pursuing an MFA in fiction. My goal is to become both a novelist and a literature professor,” shared the author, who is grateful for the opportunities she has received, aims to continue representing queer brown girls in narratives and hopes to make her family proud.
