{"podcast":{"title":"Nonfiction Kidlit Craft Conversations","slug":"nonfiction-kidlit-craft-conversations-7100428","podcast_index_feed_id":7100428,"rss_url":"https://feed.podbean.com/kirstenwlarson/feed.xml","website_url":"https://podcast.kirstenwlarson.com","image_url":"https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/19684646/Nonfiction_Kidlit_Convo_for_Apple_xd883v.jpg","author":"Kirsten W. Larson","episode_count":27,"summary":"Ready to take a deep dive into the craft and business of nonfiction kidlit? In Nonfiction Kidlit Craft Conversations, Kirsten W. Larson, author of ”Reimagining Your Nonfiction Picture Book,” chats with creators of nonfiction new releases about the craft and business of writing nonfiction for children and teens.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-04T06:21:25.205019+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/nonfiction-kidlit-craft-conversations-7100428"},"episode":{"title":"Ep. 17 Traveling for Research with Sandhya Acharya","slug":"ep-17-traveling-for-research-with-sandhya-acharya","published_at":"2025-12-05T08:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/nonfiction-kidlit-craft-conversations-7100428/ep-17-traveling-for-research-with-sandhya-acharya","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/nonfiction-kidlit-craft-conversations-7100428","url":"https://podcast.kirstenwlarson.com/e/ep-17-traveling-for-research-with-sandhya-acharya/","audio_url":"https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/xmm56g25p2bd73ur/_authorsandhya_and_Kirsten_W_Larson.mp3","summary":"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…","meta_description":"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 t…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1975,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/nonfiction-kidlit-craft-conversations-7100428/episodes/ep-17-traveling-for-research-with-sandhya-acharya/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/nonfiction-kidlit-craft-conversations-7100428/ep-17-traveling-for-research-with-sandhya-acharya.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}