LONG BIOGRAPHY

B.A. Mathew was born in Staten Island, New York, and raised in Houston, Texas, with immigrant parents from Kerala, India. Her parents took her to the library weekly, where she checked out several books. However, the history of her culture was never depicted in the novels she read, and few stories featured South Indian main characters.

As a teacher, while raising her three young children, she started wondering how she could combine her love of children's books and pursue her more creative side. She wanted to write stories featuring BIPOC characters drawn into similar yet challenging situations as the stories she read as a teen. She wanted to write stories that hold meaning and bring value to young people from different backgrounds.

After moving to Seattle in 2006, she enrolled in the Writing for Children Certification program at the University of Washington. During that time, she joined SCBWI, which offered endless opportunities to immerse herself in writing for children. From 2008 to 2010, she attended graduate school at Vermont College of Fine Arts. Working with professional authors offered her invaluable advice and contacts in children's writing. The chance to collaborate with others and share stories in critique groups, workshops, and conferences helped her understand the importance of audience and purpose.

In 2018-2021, she created TruthLines, an online platform and podcast that inspires young people while guiding and supporting them in their endeavors. She led a diverse community of teen creatives—writers and artists—to give them a voice. She was also responsible for the vision of each story article published and provided editorial input.

B.A. Mathew brings nearly twenty years of combined education and writing experience. She was drawn to writing for its creative aspect. She has written fantasy, fiction, nonfiction, and picture book manuscripts, focusing on diverse stories and characters. While writing, she enjoys learning the craft of editing. The opportunity to read, write, and edit for a living allows her to shape her work and help others on their path to publishing.

She joined Kids Comic Unite to learn more about graphic novels and the comics industry and enrolled in the Mastering Graphic Novels Course offered by the Children's Book Academy. She works out of a writing studio in Bellevue near Seattle, WA. When she’s not writing, she enjoys listening to music, reading, hiking, traveling, and spending time with her family and friends.