About me

Swati Chavda

Fantasy and science-fiction writer. Ex-neurosurgeon. Couch-dweller, cheese-eater, Scotch-sipper. Armchair explorer. Star-gazer. Winter-walker. Reluctant insomniac.

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I grew up in India’s westernmost peninsula, in a town known for siestas and pickles and colourful carnivals. Under the slanting sunlight of soft winter dawns, I flew kites from my rooftop, inhaling distant wood-smoke that ignited adventure-filled dreams. Foggy winter dusks saw me munching roasted corn by the roadside, chatting with street vendors who kept crackling fires going all night. (None can rival their storytelling skills--they're natural!)

Then came tropical summers. On blindingly bright afternoons, I retreated indoors, drew the curtains, and ate mangoes in the shaded house, dreaming of winter again. Time raced as I read stories of valiant local kings and beautiful warrior princesses--some with magic in their blood. In the end, I turned out a good student, but a bad influence on anyone seeking a normal life.

Adventure found me in a different form: medical school, followed by a residency in Neurosurgery. There I discovered my superpower: needing fewer hours of sleep than most sane humans, which is a blessing and a curse, and something I’m trying to change.

I currently live in Calgary, an hour's drive east of the majestic Canadian Rockies. In the mountains, I have seen grizzlies and moose in the wild, heard a coyote howl under the moonlight, and watched the northern sky shimmer with streams of aurora borealis.

I'm working on ‘The Stardust Sorcerer’, the first book in a fantasy adventure saga spanning several worlds and several timelines.