Arefa Tehsin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Udaipur, Rajasthan |
| Occupation | Writer and columnist |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Genre | Children’s literature, literary fiction, nature writing |
| Notable works |
|
| Years active | 2010–present |
| Website | |
| arefatehsin | |
Arefa Tehsin is an Indian author, naturalist and columnist. She writes fiction for children, young adults and adults.[1]
Her debut adult novel, The Witch in the Peepul Tree, was super-shortlisted for the 2024 Asian Prize for Fiction.[2]
She has written more than twenty books including Wild in the Backyard (2018), The Witch in the Peepul Tree (2023) and The Great Indian Safari (2025). Her columns are published in national dailies like Hindustan Times, The Hindu and The Indian Express.[3]
Early life and education[edit | edit source]
Tehsin grew up in Udaipur, Rajasthan.[3] She is the daughter of naturalist Dr. Raza H. Tehsin.[4] Arefa’s childhood days were spent treading jungles with her father, which deeply influenced her as an author.[1]
Career[edit | edit source]
Tehsin began writing columns and features for newspapers like The Hindu, The Indian Express, Outlook Money and Hindustan Times.[5] She also served as the honorary wildlife warden of Udaipur district.[3]
In 2014, she co-authored The Land of the Setting Sun & Other Nature Tales with her father, which was described as a “must-read for young readers” by The Better India.[6]
Her young adult fantasy novel, Iora and the Quest of Five, was highlighted in The Indian Express for its environmental themes.[1]
In 2023, HarperCollins India published her debut adult novel, The Witch in the Peepul Tree, a historical mystery set in 1950s Udaipur.[7] The book is being translated into Sinhalese and is also being adapted for broadcast in multiple Indian languages.[7] The book was included in the super-shortlist, the “Asian Trio”, for the 2024 Asian Prize for Fiction.[2]
The novel received coverage from the Press Trust of India following its shortlisting for the 2024 Asian Prize for Fiction.[8]
The Witch in the Peepul Tree was featured in The Indian Express’s June 2023 book recommendations.[9]The novel’s shortlist recognition was also covered by Scroll.in.[10]
In 2025, Puffin Penguin published The Great Indian Safari, an illustrated introduction to India’s wildlife and ecosystems for children.[11]
Works[edit | edit source]
Selected books[edit | edit source]
- Steed of the Jungle God[12]
- The Globetrotters[13]
- The Land of the Setting Sun & Other Nature Tales (2014, with Raza H. Tehsin)[4]
- Wild in the Backyard (2018)[5]
- Iora and the Quest of Five (2022)[1]
- The Witch in the Peepul Tree (2023)[7][2]
- The Great Indian Safari (2025)[11]
Selected awards[edit | edit source]
- The Great Indian Safari – shortlisted for the 2025 Atta Galatta: Bangalore Literature Festival Book Prize.[14]
- The Witch in the Peepul Tree – included in the super-shortlist for the 2024 Asian Prize for Fiction.[2]
- The Chirmi Chasers – shortlisted for the 2021 Neev Book Award.[15]
Personal life[edit | edit source]
Tehsin divides her time between Sri Lanka and India.[3]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Chakrabarti, Paromita (18 December 2022). "By the Book: Ravina Aggarwal and Arefa Tehsin's books centre around nature, but in very different ways". The Indian Express. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Arefa Tehsin's book makes it to Asian Prize for Fiction super shortlist". Press Trust of India. PTI News. 19 November 2024. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "An interview with writer and novelist, Arefa Tehsin". Cities in Fiction. 21 May 2025. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Book Review: Tales from the Wild by Dr. Raza H. Tehsin and Arefa Tehsin". The Better India. 7 August 2012. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Arefa Tehsin". Penguin Books UK. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
- ↑ Pareek, Shreya (13 September 2014). "Children's Book Review: The Land Of The Setting Sun & Other Nature Tales". The Better India. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Fernandez, Fiona (4 March 2025). "Children's book author Arefa Tehsin on 'The Witch in the Peepul Tree' being translated into Sinhala, and more". Mid-Day. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
- ↑ "Arefa Tehsin's book makes it to Asian Prize for Fiction super shortlist". Press Trust of India.
- ↑ "June in Books: A father on son's autism, prophecies from Manipur, and Arundhati Roy's latest award". The Indian Express.
- ↑ "Indian writers Arefa Tehsin and Smriti Ravindra make the final round of 2024 Asian Prize for Fiction". Scroll.in.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Arefa Tehsin on her book 'The Great Indian Safari'". The Hindu. 30 August 2025. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
- ↑ "This book about the mysteries of the jungle is replete with the experience of its pioneering author". Scroll.in. 20 July 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
- ↑ "A freewheeling chat with author Arefa Tehsin on writing for children and more". The Hindu. 26 July 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
- ↑ "Children's Non-Fiction Shortlist 2025". Atta Galatta–Bangalore Literature Festival. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
- ↑ "The Chirmi Chasers – Neev Book Award Shortlist 2021". Neev Literature Festival. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
External links[edit | edit source]
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