Tanuja Desai Hidier was born in Boston and studied at Brown
University. She has also studied film at the New York Film Academy. As a writer/editor
in New York City, she worked on magazines, CD-Rom projects and
websites.
She was
awarded the James Jones First
Novel Fellowship Award in 1995.
Her first novel, Born Confused, was published in 2002.
Her first short film, The Test, deals with intergenerational non-communication on sex in Indian immigrant communities. The Assimilation Alphabet, written and directed with Nisha Ganatra, deals with many of the same cultural assimilation themes as her fiction. The films have been screened at several film festivals in the US and Canada.
Until fall 2000, she was lead vocalist/lyricist for the New York-based punk-pop band Io. She is now lead vocalist/lyricist for San Transisto, a London-based melodic rock/trip-hop band; they have just finished recording a special edition EP, Spark, soon to be available at their website. She is also currently songwriting/recording for a virtual band project, with participating musicians based in Los Angeles and London.
Born Confused has been named a finalist for the ALA's Best Books for YOung Adults award. Winner to be announced in early 2003.
San Transisto website
