How do you write an authentic story rooted in a real place and culture?
In this episode of Nonfiction Kidlit Craft Conversations, host Kirsten W. Larson talks with Sandhya Acharya, author of Living Bridges: The Hidden World of India’s Woven Trees, illustrated by Avani Dwivedi.
Discover how Sandhya turned her immersive travel research in Meghalaya, India, into a stunning informational fiction picture book about the living root bridges made from ficus trees and tended by the Khasi people.
You’ll learn:
✔️How a spark of inspiration led to years of research and discovery
✔️The role of immersive, on-the-ground research in shaping authentic children’s stories
✔️Ways to respectfully connect with experts and communities to ensure cultural accuracy
✔️How to balance fiction and nonfiction in informational picture books
✔️Tips for capturing sensory details and emotional impressions while in the field
This conversation is a must-listen for children’s book authors, nonfiction writers, and educators seeking to bring rich, authentic details into their stories.
📖 Living Bridges: The Hidden World of India’s Woven Trees is available wherever books are sold. Learn more on Sandhya's website. https://www.sandhyaacharya.com/
🔗 Transcript, summary, and writing resources at Kirstenwlarson.com.
Key moments:
00:00 – Introduction: Living Bridges and Authentic Storytelling
01:00 – Inspiration: A Spark from Bridges and Gratitude
05:00 – Research from Afar: Falling Down the Rabbit Hole
07:00 – From Nonfiction to Informational Fiction
09:00 – Traveling to Meghalaya: Immersive Research in Action
12:00 – Writing with All Five Senses
15:00 – Cultural Authenticity and Community Collaboration
18:00 – The Power of Fictional Elements in True Stories
23:00 – Collaboration with Illustrator Avani Dwivedi
27:00 – What’s Next for Sandhya
