Aahuti is a writer, Dalit activist, and a political leader. His Nepalma Varnabyabastaa Ra Barga Sangharsha (The Varna System and Class Struggle in Nepal) is considered a significant resource on the caste and class system of Nepal. Also a critical and respected political and social analyst, his works include Tapasika Geetharu, Skhalan, Gahungoro Africa, and Naya Ghar. Aahuti

Ajapa Sharma is a doctoral student in the Department of History at the University of Illinois at Chicago where she works on ideas of self, family and nation in early twentieth century South Asia. She has been affiliated with the CET-University of Wisconsin Academic Program in India and is deeply invested in teaching in diverse and multicultural environments. She is the co-founding editor of Mithia Review, a journal of international science fiction and fantasy. Ajapa Sharma

A recipient of Nepal’s most acclaimed literary award, Madan Puraskar, for his novel Seto Dharti, Amar Nyaupane is best known as a novelist and short story writer. His first published work, ‘Paaniko Ghaam’, won the Padma Shree Sahitya Samman award; while Seto Dharti also bagged the Ramraja Panta Smriti Puraskar. Nyaupane has the novel ‘Karodaun Kasturi’, and most recently, a young-adult novel, ‘Gulabi Umer’, to his credit. Amar Nyaupane

Editor in chief of setopati.com, Ameet Dhakal has over two decades of experience in journalism. He is known for incisive, long-form political and social analysis. Ameet Dhakal

Writer, editor and publishing professional Amish Mulmi is a Consulting Editor for Writers’ Side Agency, the largest literary agency and consultancy in South Asia. He writes a fortnightly column for The Kathmandu Post, and his writings have appeared in Roads and Kingdom, National Geographic Traveller (India), Mint Lounge, The Wire, Scroll, and Record Nepal. He previously worked for Juggernaut Books and Hachette India. Amish Mulmi

Amitabha Bagchi is the author of three novels. The first, Above Average, was a bestseller. His second novel, The Householder, was published to critical acclaim and the third, This Place, was shortlisted for the Raymond Crossword Book Award 2014. Bagchi lives in New Delhi with his wife and son. His new book Half the Night is Gone is shortlisted for this year’s DSC Prize Amitabha Bagchi

Anagha Neelakantan is a writer and editor based in Kathmandu. She was previously Director of the Asia Program at the International Crisis Group, working on political conflict and geopolitics. Anagha Neelakantan

Arunava Sinha translates classic, modern and contemporary Bengali fiction and non-fiction into English. Over forty-five of his translations have been published so far. Twice the winner of the Crossword Translation Award, for Sankar’s Chowringhee (2007) and Anita Agnihotri’s Seventeen (2011), he has also won the Muse India Award for translation for When the Time Is Right (2012) and been shortlisted for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize (2009) for his translation of Chowringhee. He was born and grew up in Kolkata and lives and writes in New Delhi. His translation of There’s Gunpowder in the Air is on the shortlist of this year’s DSC prize. Arunava Sinha

Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Expert and Women’s Rights Activist Bhaarati Silawal-Giri is also the Chairperson of the National Network Against Girls' Trafficking. An avid advocate for women in leadership and citizenship rights for children through the mother, Silwal Giri has also authored books and guidelines on gender rights. Bhaarati Silawal-Giri