Ari Gautier

Ari Gautier is the author of Carnet secret de Lakshmi, Le Thinnai and Nocturne Pondicherry, three French-language books that creatively blend several languages including French, Tamil, Sanskrit, English and Pondicherry Creole. Nominated for the prestigious French literary award Le Prix du Printemps du livre du forum de Saint Louis, Ari has gained international recognition for his works that provide insight into India's history, the city's multicultural dynamism, the Indian caste system and the impact of French rule in Pondicherry. His first book Lakshmi's Secret Diary, translated into English by Sheela Mahadevan, will be published in August by the prestigious Columbia University in the USA. Gautier has currently finished a new collection of short stories that is awaiting publication.

After a few years spent in France, he currently lives in Oslo.

Roopam Singh is a translator and journalist with a special focus in art and culture. Having studied and worked over two decades in India and France, she has brought added value in translation to a fair number of individuals and organizations. She has translated plays, poems, ballets, short stories from French to English and vice versa. Nocturne Pondicherry is her first big publication in fiction.