EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS
Chief Editor
Ranu Uniyal
Former Professor and Head
Department of English and Modern European Languages
University of Lucknow
Professor Ranu Uniyal is a Former Professor and Head of the Department of English at the University of Lucknow. Currently, she serves as an Advisory Board Member (English) at the Sahitya Akademi. She was a Commonwealth Scholar at the University of Hull, UK. She is a poet, critic, and disability rights activist. She is the author/editor of more than ten books, with her writings—spanning poetry, criticism, and book reviews—published widely in national and international journals. Her poetry has appeared in Cordite Poetry, Mascara Literary Review, TEXT Special Issue (Australia), Jaggery, Medulla Review, Sketch Book, Setu, Twenty 20, Whispers (USA), Littlewood Press (UK), Bengal Lights (Bangladesh), Asia Literary Review, Cha (Hong Kong), Turning Pages (Germany), Words and Worlds (Austria), Ethos Literary Journal, The Enchanting Verses Literary Review, Dhauli Review, Muse India, Kavya Bharati, Femina, Manushi, Indian Literature, Madras Courier, and numerous anthologies in India and abroad. Her collections of English poetry include Across the Divide (2006), December Poems (2012), and The Day We Went Strawberry Picking in Scarborough (2018), which was translated into Spanish as El dÃa que fuimos a coger fresas en Scarborough by Carmen Escobedo de Tapia in 2020, This could be a Love Poem for you (Book of Poems), Red River, January 2025. Her Hindi poetry collection Saeeda Ke Ghar was published in 2021. Her editorial contributions include Reading Gandhi: Perspectives in the 21st Century (2022), Mahatma Gandhi: Essays on Life and Literature (2023), and the seminal Understanding Disability: Interdisciplinary Critical Approaches (Springer, 2024), Women in Indian Writing: From Difference to Diversity Prestige Books New Delhi, 2009, Raja Rao’s Kanthapura: A Critical Study (co-edited) (2007). As Head of the Department (2019–2022), she played a pivotal role in initiating disability-focused academic discourse by organizing the first Indian Disability Studies Collective Annual International Conference in October 2019, followed by a series of impactful workshops, talks, and events. A significant milestone during her tenure was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with Keystone Institute India, fostering a fruitful and ongoing collaboration in the field of disability advocacy and education. A founding Board Member of PYSSUM, a day-care centre for individuals with special needs in Lucknow, Professor Uniyal has been an unwavering voice for inclusion and disability rights. Her editorial work Understanding Disability stands as a vital interdisciplinary compilation that explores and expands the contours of Disability Studies in India. Her poetry has been translated into German, Hindi, Oriya, Malayalam, Marathi, Spanish, Urdu, and Uzbek, and she has represented Indian literature at numerous literary festivals and conferences in Almora, Aligarh, Bhubaneswar, Berhampur, Chemnitz, Calicut, Coimbatore, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Kanpur, Lancaster, Lucknow, Madrid, Meerut, Tashkent, and Udaipur. In 2019, she was invited to a Writer’s Residency in Uzbekistan. Professor Uniyal was the Founder Chief Editor of Rhetorica, the Literary Journal of Arts, University of Lucknow. Email: ranuuniyalpant@gmail.com Postal Address: 503, Priyanka Apartments, Jopling Road, Lucknow. 226001
Editors
Sanghamitra Acharya
Chairperson
Centre of Social Medicine and Community Health
School of Social Sciences
JNU, New Delhi
Sanghmitra S. Acharya is currently the Chairperson and Professor at the Centre of Social Medicine and Community Health, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. She taught at the International Institute for Population Sciences from 1990 to 1999 and served as the Director of the Indian Institute of Dalit Studies from 2015 to 2018. She has been a Visiting Fellow at CASS, Beijing; Ball State University, USA; UPPI, Manila; East-West Center, Honolulu; and the University of Botswana. She was awarded the Asian Scholarship Foundation Fellowship in 2005 and the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute Grant in 2019. For academic purposes, she has traveled to Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, the USA, Canada, Thailand, Belgium, and Finland. She has participated in national and international conferences, presented papers, and published extensively in peer-reviewed journals on issues related to health and discrimination, youth, gender, and sanitation in urban spaces. Her published works include Social Discrimination in Health Care Access among Dalit Children: Exploring Inclusive Environments (2008/2012), Youth in Development Discourse (2012), and Inclusive Measures and Regional Development in North-Eastern States of India: Some Dimensions of Public Health (2013). Her edited volumes include Marginalization in Globalizing Delhi: Issues of Land, Labour, and Health (2017), Health, Safety, and Well-Being of Workers in the Informal Sector in India: Lessons for Emerging Economies (2019), Caste, COVID, and Inequalities of Care: Lessons from South Asia (2022), and Mapping Identity-Induced Marginalisation in India: Inclusion and Access in the Land of Unequal Opportunities (Springer, 2022). Additionally, her research on sanitation workers was published by Academic Publishers in 2023. Email: sanghmitra.acharya@gmail.com Institutional Address: Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Mehrauli Road, Munirka, New Delhi, Delhi 110067, India
Malashri Lal
Convener
English Advisory Board
Sahitya Akademi
Prof. Malashri Lal, a writer and academic with twenty-five books to her credit, ret ired as a Professor in the English Department at the University of Delhi. Her publications include Tagore and the Feminine and the goddess trilogy (co-edited with Namita Gokhale) comprising In Search of Sita, Finding Radha, and Treasures of Lakshmi. Betrayed by Hope: A Play on the Life of Michael Madhusudan Dutt (2020), co-authored with Namita Gokhale, received the Kalinga Fiction Award. She has two books of poems, Mandalas of Time, and Signing in the Air. Currently, she is the Convener of the English Advisory Board of the Sahitya Akademi. She also volunteers with organizations supporting disadvantaged communities, women and children. Email: malashri@hotmail.com Postal Address: B 25 West End South Moti Bagh New Delhi, India 110021
Elizabeth P. Neuville
Executive Director
Keystone Institute India
Elizabeth Neuville serves as the Executive Director of the Keystone Institute and the Director of Keystone Institute India. With nearly forty years of experience, she has worked as a human service worker, administrator, and advocate, focusing on supporting people with disabilities and employee development. Since joining Keystone Human Services (KHS) in 1988, Elizabeth has facilitated the transition of individuals from institutions to community living in Pennsylvania. As the Executive Director in Lancaster, she designed support systems for individuals with developmental disabilities, fostering their integration into communities. A senior trainer in Social Role Valorization (SRV), she has conducted international training and integrates Person-Directed Planning with SRV to enhance its effectiveness. Elizabeth divides her time between India and the United States. Email: eneuville@khs.org Institutional Addresses: Global Headquarters: Keystone Human Services, 4391 Sturbridge Drive, Harrisburg, PA 17110, United States India: Keystone Institute India, B-6/22, First Floor, Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi, India 110029
Dr. Stephen Shore
Professor
Adelphi University, New York
Diagnosed with "atypical development and strong autistic tendencies," Dr. Stephen Shore was initially recommended for institutionalization due to being considered "too sick" for outpatient treatment. Nonverbal until the age of four, he now serves as a full-time professor at Adelphi University and an adjunct professor at NYU, specializing in best practices for supporting autistic individuals. Dr. Shore is a board member of Autism Speaks, an Organization for Autism Research (OAR), and other autism-focused organizations. He is also the President Emeritus of the Association for Autism and Neurodiversity. Email: sshore@adelphi.edu Institutional Address: Adelphi University, One South Avenue, P.O. Box 701, Garden City, NY 11530-0701, USA Phone: 800.Adelphi (233.5744)
Banibrata Mahanta
Professor
BHU, Varanasi
Banibrata Mahanta is a Professor of English at Banaras Hindu University, India. His areas of interest include Indian Writing in English, Indian Nationalist Thought, Disability Studies, and Translation. His recent works include the edited volume, English Studies in India: Contemporary and Evolving Paradigms (Springer, 2019) and an English translation of the Hindi novel Lavanya Devi (Orient Blackswan, 2024), for which he was awarded the prestigious PEN/Heim Translation Fund Grant (PEN America) in 2021. Mahanta is actively engaged in the field of disability rights and disability studies. He serves as the vice-chair of the Indian Disability Studies Collective. His academic contributions to the field include a monograph titled Disability Studies: An Introduction (2017) and several essays on various aspects of disability in India. He also conducts sensitization workshops across the country on disability issues, particularly focusing on disability-based marginalization in academia. Email: bmahanta@bhu.ac.in Institutional Address: Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi-221005, Uttar Pradesh, India
Dr. Nidhi Singal,
Director Action for Autism,New Delhi
Dr. Nidhi Singhal (she/her) is the Director of Research and Training at Action For Autism, New Delhi. She holds a Ph.D degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Delhi. With over two decades of extensive clinical training, experience, and a strong background in research, Dr. Singhal has been deeply involved in autism research and capacity building across India and other South Asian countries. She has led several autism-related research projects in collaboration with Indian and international universities. In addition, Dr. Singhal has vast experience in providing diagnostic and psychological services, as well as facilitating self-exploration for autistic individuals. She also conducts training programs and sensitization activities for autistic individuals, families, professionals, employers, and civic bodies. Dr. Singhal serves on various Indian and international expert committees and has authored several books and publications. Passionate about creating respectful and inclusive supports, she aims to help individuals on the autism spectrum lead full, rich, and meaningful lives as valued contributors to society. Dr. Singhal feels privileged to have several autistic individuals among her close friends. Email: dr.nidhisinghal@gmail.com Institutional Address: Pocket 7 & 8, Jasola Park Rd, Sector 6, Pocket 5, Jasola Vihar, New Delhi, Delhi 201204, India
Linda Plourde
Executive Director
Bayberry Incorporation, Napa, Lake County
Linda Plourde is the CEO and Executive Director of Bayberry, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to providing supported living services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). Her career in the I/DD field began in 1982 in Maine, and she assumed leadership of Bayberry in 2006, focusing on enhancing the quality of life for individuals with I/DD. Linda has served on various boards, including ANCOR and The Arc of California, and has contributed to significant policy initiatives, including a three-year term on the California Developmental Services Task Force. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling. Email: lsplourde@bayberryinc.org Institutional Address: Napa Office, 1500 3rd St, Ste A-1, Napa, CA 94559, USA Phone: (707) 252-6845
Associate Editors
Amrita Sharma
Amrita Sharma is Assistant Professor in the Department of English at Sri Venkateshwara College, University of Delhi, India. She is a Ph.D. in English from the Department of English and Modern European Languages, University of Lucknow. She has worked as a Fulbright Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Languages and Cultures, University of Notre Dame, USA. Where she taught Hindi language from August 2021 to May 2022. Her first collection of poems is titled The Skies: Poems and has been published as a part of ‘The Hawakal Young Poets Series 2022.’ As a creative writer, she has contributed poems, essays, short stories and book reviews to several literary journals including Setu Bilingual published from Pittsburgh, USA, Singapore based Borderless Journal, UK based Confluence: South Asian Perspectives, FemAsia, Teesta Review, Outlook, Muse India, Lothlorien Poetry Journal, , Aspiring Writers Society E-zine, Trouville Review, Literary Yard, Ashvamegha, Café Dissensus Everyday, the blog of Cafe Dissensus magazine, Women’s Web, and others. Her poems have also appeared in anthologies namely Pixie Dust & All Things Magical: Global Poetry in English 2022 and Earth, Fire, Water, Wind: An Anthology of Poems,2021. She has worked as the Poetry Editor for the first four issues (Volume One) of Rhetorica Quarterly, a literary journal published by Rhetorica Literary Society, Department of English and Modern European Languages, University of Lucknow, and contributed articles to the campus newspaper The Observer while her stay at the University of Notre Dame, U.S.A. Email: sharma.amrita92@gmail.com Institutional Address: Sri Venkateshwara College, Benito Juarez Road, Dhaula Kuan, New Delhi, India 110021 Phone: +91-11-2411-2196
Vedamini Vikram
Vedamini Vikram is a doctoral student at the University of Lucknow, specializing in Indian Mysticism and its cross-cultural dimensions. She has previously worked as an Assistant Professor at Amity University, Lucknow, where she taught English literature and communication across various departments and supervised postgraduate research dissertations. She also served as a Research Associate at IIM Lucknow, contributing to research and writing for the book Narcissus or Machiavelli: Learning Leadership from Indian Prime Ministers (Routledge, 2021) by Nishant Uppal. In addition, Vedamini has taught English to women from underprivileged backgrounds in Tamil Nadu as an English language instructor with The Language Guardian and has contributed as an editor at Pepper Content. She currently serves on the editorial board of Rhetorica Quarterly, the departmental journal of the Department of English and Modern European Languages at the University of Lucknow. Her book reviews have appeared in The Book Review, Muse India, Teesta Review, and other platforms. Email: vedamini.vikram@gmail.com Institutional Address: University of Lucknow, Babuganj, Hasanganj, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226007, India
Prachi Kholia
Prachi Kholia is a Research Scholar at the Department of English and Modern European Languages, University of Lucknow. Her doctoral thesis is on the issues of modern existence as depicted in Japanese confessional literature. Her research interests include personal narratives and film studies. Some of her work has been published in literary publications like Muse India, Setu, Rhetorica Quarterly, Dreich Chapbook and New Literaria Journal among others. Email: prachikholia2@gmail.com Institutional Address: University of Lucknow, Babuganj, Hasanganj, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226007, India
Technical and Web Design
Kumar Sawan
Lecturer English, Government Polytechnic Madhogarh Jalaun
Kumar Sawan is a Lecturer of English at Government Polytechnic Madhogarh Jalaun and a Ph.D. scholar in the Department of English and Modern European Languages at the University of Lucknow. His research explores the intersections of literature, technology, and subjectivity in contemporary cultural narratives, particularly through the lens of Critical Posthuman Studies and Literary Criticism. He has presented his work at the Center for Research in Posthumanities at Bankura University, West Bengal, and at the University of Lucknow. His scholarly and creative work has been published in several peer-reviewed and literary journals, including Vernon Press, Madras Courier, Rhetorica: A Literary Journal of Arts, Contemporary Literary Review India, SPL Journal, Literary Horizon, Creative Saplings, Borderless, and The Teesta Review. Email: kumarr.sawann@gmail.com Institutional Address: Government Polytechnic Madhogarh Jalaun, 285126, UP, India.
Jyotirmoy Joshi
Jyotirmoy Joshi, a Ph.D. scholar in English at the University of Lucknow, explores the compelling intersection of Fantasy Literature and Mental Health. A self-confessed Walter Mitty, his vibrant imagination fuels both academic inquiry and real-world adventure – often found riding Himalayan passes on his motorcycle. He proudly identifies as a Liberal Humanist, Ravenclaw, and Bardolater, perspectives shaped by a unique fusion of idyllic fantasy and dark, eccentric thrillers. Beyond academia, his passions include films, doodling, Enlightenment literature, F1, MotoGP. He has contributed insightful work to publications like The Criterion, the prestigious Women's Link and the IIS Journal of Arts, and to Rhetorica, Film Comment, Science Fiction Book Reviews, and Fantasy Café. Email: joy.marchangel30@gmail.com Institutional Address: University of Lucknow, Babuganj, Hasanganj, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226007, India