More About Jyoti Rajan Gopal (She/Her)
Languages: English
Jyoti Rajan Gopal is an award-winning picture book author, mom and forever kindergarten teacher. Growing up, she lived in Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar, India and China. She now lives in New York with her husband, in a quirky old Victorian, where they raised their two daughters.
Her books have received starred reviews in Kirkus, Publisher’s Weekly, School and Library Journal, Book List, and Book Page and are on the Bank Street, NYPL and SLJ Best Books lists. She is the recipient of the 2024 ALA Stonewall Honor Award.
Jyoti writes stories – fiction and non-fiction - of identity, community and belonging, themes that speak to her heart, that reflect her multiple identities.
When not writing or teaching, she loves to read - a lot! - work in her garden, dance and explore the many New York State Park trails.
You can find Jyoti online at:
Jyoti’s strengths are…
Helping get to the heart of the story
Structural revisions
Cutting out the unnecessary
Offering direction, guidance and support
Agent/client relationships
Query letters
What Jyoti is looking for…
Jyoti is looking for a mentee who has taken the time to learn and grow as a creator and who has actively been working on their craft. She is looking to work on just a few manuscripts with a writer that understands that crafting a picture book can take time and multiple revisions. And she is looking forward to sharing and discussing the business side of publishing including working with agents, editors and publishing houses.
A Note from Jyoti:
“As you tell me about yourself, please be as specific as possible about:
Your journey to becoming a writer.
How you've been working on and developing your craft.
What you're hoping for from a mentor.
What are 2-3 specific goals you want to have accomplished by the end of this mentorship".
Jyoti’s Picture Books
AMERICAN DESI, written by Jyoti Rajan Gopal and illustrated by Supriya Kelkar
ONE SWEET SONG, written by Jyoti Rajan Gopal and illustrated by Sonia Sánchez
LOVE IS HERE WITH YOU: A LULLABY OF BLESSINGS, written by Jyoti Rajan Gopal and illustrated by Nabi H. Ali
SISTER DAY, written by Jyoti Rajan Gopal and illustrated by Fanny Liem
DESERT SONG, written by Jyoti Rajan Gopal and illustrated by Svabhu Kohli
MY PAATI’S SARIS, written by Jyoti Rajan Gopal and illustrated by Art Twink
Jyoti’s Upcoming Picture Books
OVER IN THE MANGROVES, written by Jyoti Rajan Gopal and illustrated by Dikshaa Pawaskar
If Jyoti created a Visual Wish List, it would be made up of…
*Unless otherwise stated, the below serves as a wish list only. Each mentor is excited about the opportunity to find a manuscript they can’t stop thinking about. Please apply if you think you’d be a good fit.
The Bees of Notre-Dame by Meghan P. Browne Illustrated by E. B. Goodale
Berry Song by Michaela Goade
Freedom Soup by Tami Charles Illustrated by Jacqueline Alcántara
Bravo Little Bird by Annie Silvestra Illustrated by Ramona Kaulitzki
My Name is Long as a River by Suma Subramaniam Illustrated by Tara Anand
The Lion Queen, written by Rina Singh and illustrated by Tara Anand
Jyoti is a good fit for…
Nonfiction stories about the hidden, the unsung, the unusual, the cool
Fiction stories that reflect specific cultural traditions and yet have universal themes, that are heartfelt, that uplift community, that offer mirrors and/or windows
Lyrical, rhyming, narrative prose - or a combo, if you can make it work!
Jyoti is not a good fit for…
Stories with potty humor
Silly/funny or meta stories (I love reading them, I just don't think I would be able to help you!)
Stories with animal characters
Folktales
Who can apply to Jyoti? Unagented and Agented authors.
Click below to register for our Mentee Announcement (on Zoom) on May 15, 2025 at 8:00pm Eastern Time!