Ashwarya Samkaria, an independent researcher, has a Masters in English Literature from University of Delhi and in Performance Studies from Dr. B. R. Ambedkar University Delhi. Her research interests are ecocriticism, environmental humanities, postcolonial literatures, and performance studies. Her book chapters feature in edited collections – Ecodisaster Imaginaries in India (Lexington Books), Reading Contemporary South Asian Literature: A Postcolonial-Ecocritical Approach (Ukiyoto Publishing), Postcolonial Literature: Selected Essays on Past, Present and Future Trends (Adhyayan Publishers) and Exploration of Current Ecological Issues and Concerns in Graphic Narratives (Routledge, forthcoming 2024). Her research papers have been published in peer-reviewed journals- Ecozon@ (European Journal of Literature, Culture and Environment), Essence & Critique: Journal of Literature and Drama Studies, and Transcript: An E-Journal of Literary and Cultural Studies. Her article on body and protest performance has been published in Performance Research (Taylor & Francis). Trained in (neo)classical dance form ‘Odissi’, she has performed abroad and extensively in India. Her ecofictions have been published by EcoCast, official podcast of the ‘Association of the Study of Literature and Environment’ (ASLE), Benelux Association for the Study of Art, Culture, and the Environment (BASCE), and Samyukta Fiction. She aspires to teach Literatures in English and write ecofiction.
She has been appointed as one of the Executive Council Members (ECM) of the Delhi-NCR Executive Council of EFSLE.