# Ep. 17 Traveling for Research with Sandhya Acharya

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/nonfiction-kidlit-craft-conversations-7100428/ep-17-traveling-for-research-with-sandhya-acharya
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/nonfiction-kidlit-craft-conversations-7100428/ep-17-traveling-for-research-with-sandhya-acharya.md
Podcast: [Nonfiction Kidlit Craft Conversations](https://stenobird.com/podcast/nonfiction-kidlit-craft-conversations-7100428)
Published: 2025-12-05T08:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://podcast.kirstenwlarson.com/e/ep-17-traveling-for-research-with-sandhya-acharya/
Audio file: https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/xmm56g25p2bd73ur/_authorsandhya_and_Kirsten_W_Larson.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/nonfiction-kidlit-craft-conversations-7100428/episodes/ep-17-traveling-for-research-with-sandhya-acharya
Duration seconds: 1975

## Resource

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 27:0…

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