Mentor Alert: Chennai Katha Utsav Grand Finale

We are so happy to bring to you the best of mentors for your children in the Katha Utsav Finale at Chennai. Looking forward.

Andrea Jacob
Andrea Jacob is a movement specialist, performing artist, scriptwriter, and community healer with a global presence since 1999. Her theatrical work spans scripting, direction, and choreography since 2004. She brings healing through movement in juvenile homes, nursing homes, orphanages, and tribal communities. She has reached corporates and community spaces across India, Dubai, China, the UK, France, and Malaysia. Her stories blend early learning, biomimicry, and lived experience with local communities via radio, print, and TV.

Chitra Soundar
Chitra Soundar is an award-winning author, screenwriter, and oral storyteller with books published internationally. Her stories draw on Indian culture and global traditions, spanning genres from picture books to mysteries. She appears at global literary festivals and regularly visits schools and libraries to share her stories. Writing across formats and age groups, she crafts narratives that entertain, educate, and connect children to heritage and imagination through rhythm, humour, and emotional depth.

Harry MacLure
Harry MacLure is a Chennai-based cartoonist, writer, and filmmaker, best known as editor of Anglos In The Wind, the longest-running Anglo-Indian magazine. He has published articles and short stories internationally and worked in advertising in Kuwait and Madras. He expanded into cinema by writing and directing Going Away (2013) and Calcutta, I'mm Sorry (2024). His work captures Anglo-Indian life through art, satire, and film, cementing his role as a key cultural documentarian.

Lavanya Srinivas
Lavanya Srinivas teaches Narratives and Storytelling at NIFT Chennai and directs Katha Kamamishu, a centre for creative educators and story coaches. As a communication expert, she leads training in storytelling, public speaking, and soft skills for professionals and educators. Her work empowers trainers through narrative technique and expressive clarity. Known for her precision and creative insight, Lavanya bridges pedagogy and performance, shaping storytellers who combine impact, authenticity, and professional delivery. 

Praba Ram
Praba Ram writeschildren'ss books that spotlight inclusion, disability, STEM, and wildlife. With a BITS Pilani degree and a UCL Master's in public policy, she previously led early literacy programs in Virginia. She has co-authored twelve books, including Can You? from Tulika Books. Praba conducts creative writing programs for middle schoolers and guides high school students through international college applications. She views early reading as essential and storytelling as a tool for deep, diverse connection.

Shyamala
Shyamala transitioned from engineering to education after five years in IT and has spent 17 years teaching Language Arts. She runs Shyam's Storytime, delivering over 450 story sessions to children worldwide, including the USA, UK, the Middle East, and Singapore. A teacher at KC High in Chennai, she shares stories across genres like folklore, fiction, and tall tales. She reads, writes, and sings daily, driven by an enduring passion for storytelling and global cultural discovery.

Sonia Duggal
Sonia Duggal is an education professional, author, and master storyteller with over two decades of experience in language education, curriculum design, and teacher training. She has authored fiction and non-fiction for leading publishers and created learning resources for CBSE, ICSE, and State Boards across age groups from early years to Grade 10. A certified ELT trainer, Sonia has worked extensively with educators, schools, and EdTech platforms, helping teachers use stories as tools for thinking, empathy, and expression. 

Vikram Sridhar
Vikram Sridhar is a performance storyteller and theatre practitioner with over 20 years of experience in conservation, social work, and stagecraft. Holding degrees from SRM, IIT, and NALSAR, he left engineering and law to pursue a full-time arts career. Based in Bangalore and Chennai, he performs and speaks nationwide at festivals, schools, and conferences. His stories draw from folklore and community legends rooted in native wisdom. He champions traditional storytelling as a cultural bridge and tool for holistic well-being.