The Mind Creative MAY 2015 | Page 4

Contributors Sukumar Nayar is originally from Kerala, India. He is a retired professor of theatre having trained at Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and New York University (NYU). He had been involved with theatre for over seven decades in India, Uganda, England, Papua New Guinea, the United States and Canada. He has directed, produced or otherwise been involved in over 100 stage productions. For his contribution to theatre he was awarded the Millennium Theatre 100, “awarded to 100 theatre practitioners in Alberta for outstanding contribution to the development of theatre in the last 100 years.” After taking early retirement, he joined the United Nations as a consultant. He lives in Toronto with his wife who is also a retired professor. Sukumar writes a weekly blog called Subtext: www.sukumarnayar.wordpress.com. Swati Singh Sambyal is an environmental researcher, poet, blogger and a freelance writer. She is a published author of "Painted", a book of 43 contemporary poems. She is passionate about life, people, music, words and places and is trying hard to bridge the gap between the life’s chores and the unusuality that resides in her. In her own words, “this is a journey.” Aparna Pallavi is a short story writer and environment journalist. Currently she is working with the Indian environment magazine Down to Earth. Aparna dreams to travel independently in the near future, researching her favourite subjects of tribal food wisdom and ecologically and emotionally sustainable communities in India and elsewhere. 4