The publication of Mamata Pandya’s first book for children coincided with the birth of her son Aditya. She is a “late bloomer” in that she started writing for children when she also started a new career as an environmental educator, following an academic background, and a stint as a college lecturer, in Political Science. In the twenty five years since then, Mamata has written extensively for children as well as for teachers. Her children’s books have been published by Tulika, National Book Trust, Children’s Book Trust, and Rupa, as well as Centre for Environment Education and UNEP. For three years she also co-edited the weekly Children’s Supplement of the Ahmedabad edition of the Indian Express.

Mamata’s educational work and writing has been greatly inspired by her grandfather Gijubhai Badheka who was one of Gujarat’s foremost educationists and storytellers. She feels that her love for language, rhyme, children and education are her grandfather’s legacy, which she hopes that she can keep vibrant, and take ahead, for a wider audience. She has been translating Gijubhai’s writings, both his children’s stories, as well as his writings for parents and teachers. She enjoys the creative challenge of retelling the tales, and also telling her own tales. She has also translated a number of Tulika books into Gujarati.

Mamata lives in Ahmedabad where she works at the Centre for Environment Education.