Zilka Joseph was born in Mumbai, lived in Kolkata, and now lived in Michigan. Her work is influenced by Indian and Western cultures, and her Bene Israel roots. Her poems have appeared in journals such as Poetry Magazine, Kenyon Review Online, Asian Literary Review, The Bombay Literary Review, as well a several international anthologies. She was nominated for awards, been a featured reader at literary festivals and on NPR/Michigan Radio, and podcasts such as Rattlecast and Culturico. Her chapbook Sparrows and Dust won a Notable Best Indie Book Award and was Notable Asian American Poetry Book. Her books Sharp Blue Search of Flame and In Our Beautiful Bones were Foreword INDIES prize finalists.The University of Michigan awarded her a Zell Fellowship, the Michael Gutterman prize, and the Elsie Choy Lee Scholarship.Sweet Malida, her newest collection of poems and prose, will be published in February, 2024. She is a creative writing coach, manuscript advisor, and a mentor to writers in her community. www.zilkajoseph.com [2]