Ashok Rajamani

Heralded by Barnes & Noble as one of the "Great New Writers of 2013," Ashok Rajamani is an internationally published author, poet, artist, essayist, radio host, and activist in New York City. At the age of twenty-five, he suffered a massivecerebral hemorrhage due to an undetected birth defect. Though he survived, he was left with bisected blindness, epilepsy, distorted hearing, erratic amnesia, metal staples in his brain, and, ultimately, a carved skull courtesy of open brain surgery. Ashok's amazing survival resulted in his triumphant memoir, The Day My Brain Exploded: A True Story, which has received worldwide acclaim, hailed by multiple media outlets, including Publishers Weekly, Harper's, Booklist, PBS, Atlantic Monthly, and more. In addition to The Day My Brain Exploded, his first book, Ashok's prose and poetry have also appeared in multiple publications, such as Scholars & Rogues, South Asian Review, Danse Macabre, 3: AM magazine, and dozens more. He has been host for Brain Injury Radio and belongs to the Authors Guild, New York Writers Coalition, Asian American Writers Workshop, and South Asian Journalists Association. He is a nationwide speaker as well, having conducted multiple reading engagements in venues such as the United Nations and renowned book festivals. Ashok is a magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa graduate of New York University, where he received his journalism degree with Kappa Tau Alpha honors. He attended Columbia University for advanced cultural studies.