How do you write an authentic story rooted in a real place and culture?

In this episode of Nonfiction Kidlit Craft Conversations, host Kirsten W. Larson talks with Sandhya Acharya, author of Living Bridges: The Hidden World of India’s Woven Trees, illustrated by Avani Dwivedi.

Discover how Sandhya turned her immersive travel research in Meghalaya, India, into a stunning informational fiction picture book about the living root bridges made from ficus trees and tended by the Khasi people.

You’ll learn:

✔️How a spark of inspiration led to years of research and discovery

✔️The role of immersive, on-the-ground research in shaping authentic children’s stories

✔️Ways to respectfully connect with experts and communities to ensure cultural accuracy

✔️How to balance fiction and nonfiction in informational picture books

✔️Tips for capturing sensory details and emotional impressions while in the field

This conversation is a must-listen for children’s book authors, nonfiction writers, and educators seeking to bring rich, authentic details into their stories.

📖 Living Bridges: The Hidden World of India’s Woven Trees is available wherever books are sold. Learn more on Sandhya's website. https://www.sandhyaacharya.com/

🔗 Transcript, summary, and writing resources at Kirstenwlarson.com.

Key moments:

00:00 – Introduction: Living Bridges and Authentic Storytelling

01:00 – Inspiration: A Spark from Bridges and Gratitude

05:00 – Research from Afar: Falling Down the Rabbit Hole

07:00 – From Nonfiction to Informational Fiction

09:00 – Traveling to Meghalaya: Immersive Research in Action

12:00 – Writing with All Five Senses

15:00 – Cultural Authenticity and Community Collaboration

18:00 – The Power of Fictional Elements in True Stories

23:00 – Collaboration with Illustrator Avani Dwivedi

27:00 – What’s Next for Sandhya