Smriti Halls is an internationally bestselling, award-winning children’s author. Since publication of her first picture book in 2012, she has had a U.S. #1 bestseller and been published in more than 40 languages, from Arabic to Afrikaans and from Catalan to Korean
With a cast of characters as varied as mischievous monsters and disgruntled geese, she explores relationship and identity; the personal and the political; how it feels to be in your own skin — and in someone else’s. Her books, often fast-paced and funny or lyrical and tender, are always full of hope and heart and speak to the child in all of us.
Smriti is the winner of several national, international and regional awards, and has been shortlisted for a Book of the Year at the British Book Awards (Nibbies) and three times shortlisted for Oscar’s Book Prize. Five of her books have been nominated for the Kate Greenaway Medal and The Little Island (illustrated by Robert Starling) is a
Sunday Times Book of the Year.
Smriti has been interviewed about her work by BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour, The Sunday Times and The Guardian and and has appeared as a guest on BBC Radio 3’s The Verb.
A former BookTrust Writer in Residence and a current Patron of the SLA (School Library Association), Smriti works with schools, libraries, bookshops and festivals to bring a love of reading to the widest possible audience and works extensively with the Bedtime Stories Prison Project, helping families stay connected through stories.
Smriti has been a judge for several awards and prizes, including the Costa Book Awards, the Booktrust Lifetime Achievement Award and, most recently, The Week Junior’s inaugural book awards. She is a guest speaker for the Harper Collins Author Academy and runs a Masterclass for the Pathways Into Publishing programme, for under represented writers.
South Indian by birth, British by nationality and London-loving by heart, Smriti lives near Richmond Park with her husband and their three sons, reading, writing and eating iced buns
(except for ones called Bernard).
'Smriti'
The name Smriti comes from the ancient language, Sanskrit, and means remembrance - or memory.
It's a name that often presents a challenge to people she meets (particularly grown-ups). As there are several consonants together, it can look a bit worrying at first sight... so she has been called everything from Samantha to Serendipity! However, it's actually easy to say. It's pronounced exactly as it's spelt and, if in doubt, remember that Smriti rhymes with Pretty and Witty and you won't go wrong!!
From 2020, she will be published in the UK as Smriti Halls for fiction. For non-fiction and for all books in the U.S., she will continue to be published as Smriti Prasadam-Halls.