Meet Zohra
Zohra Chunawala is a Muslim Indian immigrant writer whose stories center culture, identity, and belonging.
Raised in Mumbai and now based in St. Louis, she holds a degree in Finance from the University of Mumbai and works in marketing, content writing, and editing alongside her work in children’s literature.
Picture books found her during library visits with her daughter, where she searched for stories that reflected their culture and realized how many were still missing. That quiet realization became a creative calling.
Zohra is a PB Rising Stars mentee (2025), a We Need Diverse Books Picture Book Mentee (2026), and a recipient of both the Inked Voices Partial Annual Scholarship (2026) and the WNDB Walter Dean Myers Grant (2026). She also serves as a teaching assistant for Grounded Writers and is represented for worldwide publishing by Sally Kim of Andrea Brown Literary Agency.
When she’s not writing, Zohra offers freelance editorial, writing, and marketing support, and can usually be found with a cup of chai and tending her many houseplants.
Why I Write
Some of my fondest memories with books began long before I ever dreamed of writing them. I remember walking with my mother and older sister to the kabadi wala’s shop — a place filled mostly with old newspapers and magazines sold by weight.
We would dig through the piles, hoping to find a magazine or storybook hidden in the stacks. The walk there, the searching, and the joy of bringing something home to read together felt incredibly special.
Those small moments planted something lasting in me. Writing today feels like honoring that little girl who found immense joy in stories, and cheering for her with every book I create.
I write to celebrate culture, identity, and belonging, and to offer children the same warmth, wonder, and connection that books once gave me.
This or That
Writing by hand or typing it out?
Sunrise walks or evening strolls?
Sweet snacks or savory snacks?
Mountains or oceans?
Tea or coffee?
Media Kit
Bio
Zohra Chunawala is a Muslim Indian immigrant writer whose stories center culture, identity, and belonging.
Raised in Mumbai and now based in St. Louis, she found her way to children’s literature through library visits with her daughter, searching for stories that reflected their world and realizing how many were still missing.
She is a PB Rising Stars mentee (2025), and a We Need Diverse Books Picture Book Mentee (2026). She serves as a teaching assistant for Grounded Writers and is represented for worldwide publishing by Sally Kim at Andrea Brown Literary Agency.
When she’s not writing, Zohra offers freelance editorial, writing, and marketing support and can usually be found with a cup of chai and tending her many houseplants.
