Raya Khedker

Raya Khedker was only three years old when she received her first writing inspiration, watching her father tie a thread to a dragonfly’s tail in the garden of their Calcutta home, then handing her the ensemble to fly like a live kite. Too young to discern the cruelty of this practice, Raya flew those dragonflies, mesmerized by the beauty and iridescence of their gossamer wings shining like precious jewels under the Indian sun, delighted by how those magical dragonflies were always within her control.

Decades later, those trapped dragonflies would become the heart of Raya’s debut novel, Dragonfly Escaping. Her biggest dream is to inspire women to recognize their untapped power, give it their all, and fulfill any goal they want.

When she isn’t writing, Raya has worked as an interpreter, a translator, teacher, private tutor, jail guard, and a seasonal farm laborer on different continents. At present, she lives in Massachusetts.