Sweta Srivastava Vikram is an author, poet, writer, and blogger. Born in India, Sweta spent her formative years between the steel city of Rourkela, the blue waters of North Africa, and the green hills of Mussoorie before arriving in bustling New York. Growing up between three continents, six cities, and five schools, what remained constant in Sweta’s life was her relationship with words.

Sweta realized her penchant for writing at a very young age. As a little girl, she remembers drowning pages of her innumerable diaries with ink - mostly personal essays and poetry, which she didn’t share with too many people. The diaries traveled everywhere with her ("My brother still makes fun of them," she says.) Somehow the word about Sweta’s creative endeavors spread in her boarding school in Mussoorie and earned her recognition when she was appointed as the chief-editor of her school's publication. She calls that fateful day her "Cleopatra-moment." She attributes her word dabbling to her boarding school along with the genetic gift of words from her father.

As a teenager, Sweta loved literature with the same passion as she loathed the sciences. She wanted to be an Indian Jane Austen. She recollects that her organic chemistry notebook in Mussoorie contained poetic inscriptions instead of formulas. By the time she was fifteen, she and her friends had read Gone With the Wind multiple times and fallen in love with Pride & Prejudice’s Mr. Darcy. In one of the geography quizzes about the tribes of the world, despite knowing the answer ("Aborigines. I can never forget it after that day," she admits) Sweta wrote that "Mr. Darcy" was the nomadic tribe of Australia.

Given her passion for words, as a young adult, Sweta wanted to study journalism but instead pursued the art of acquiring multiple masters degrees. ("You don’t want to know," she says). She has a post graduate degree in Sports Nutrition (SNDT University, Pune, India), a masters in e-Business Management (Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, Scotland), and a masters in Strategic Communications (Columbia University, New York, USA). She’s often wondered if the three degrees combined together can qualify for a PhD. Despite a somewhat successful career in marketing, Sweta’s always felt tranquil writing creative pieces and not so much marketing and branding strategies.

In 2008, her first book of poetry, Pabulum(Lelo Media 2008), was published. Pabulum is a journey through Sweta’s emotions and reveals her opinions based on her experiences. The book, true to its name, was written for the common man--people who enjoy rhyme, humor, simple words, and philosophy but do not have the time or inclination to decipher the hidden meanings behind a poem. Sweta’s moment of pride happened when a man in India bought a copy of her book; read it over a few days; and, ordered 50 copies as Diwali gifts for his clients.

Sweta’s work has appeared or is forthcoming in Asia Writes, Beckoning for Change, Birds Eye Review, Blink-Ink, Breadcrumb Scabs, Desijournal, Danse Macabre, EGO Magazine, Growing Strange, Haiku Ramblings, India Currents, Island Voices, Kala Kahani, Khabar, Mirage Books, Muse India, Poetry Victim, Poet's Picturebook, Rangoli, Recovering The Self: A Journal of Hope and Healing, Skylark Publications, Tsar Publications, Troubadour 21, Taj Mahal Review, The Tower Journal and Unisun Publications. She is also an avid blogger. Her blog encompasses a variety of opinion and analysis-based topics--from movie reviews to culture, art, and philosophy.

Sweta is involved with the South Asian Women's Creative Collective and serves on the board of DesiLit, a literary organization that builds support for South Asian and Diaspora writers. She is also a part of the effort to make South Asian poetry a phenomenon in New York/New Jersey and can be seen at poetry readings and literary events in the region. She also consults with Siyahi.

While her first love is the written word, spoken ones come a close second. In her life before diving wholeheartedly and headlong into writing her books, Sweta was a Radio Jockey with RBC Radio in New York. Her show focussed on bringing Bollywood from the shores of India to the masses of NY/NJ/CT.

Sweta lives in New York City with her husband, way too many Apple products, dreams, wine, books, and lots of friends. Aside from writing and reading, she loves dancing, taking yoga classes, playing the piano, traveling, cooking, talking to her two nieces, and entertaining guests.