JP Losty was formerly curator of the extensive Indian visual collections in the British Libraryin London and is one of the world’s leading authorities on the paintings of colonial India. He has published many books and papers on various aspects of Indian painting from the 12th to the 19th centuries. His major books include The Art of the Book in India (1982), Calcutta: City of Palaces (1990), The Ramayana (2008), Delhi: From Red Fort to Raisina (2011) and Sita Ram’s Painted Views of India: Lord Hasting’s Journey from Calcutta to the Punjab, 1814–1815 (2015). Sumedha Verma Ojha, author, speaker and columnist on ancient India and the epics, was born in Patna. She joined the Indian Revenue Service after graduating from Lady Sri Ram College and completing her post graduation from the Delhi School of Economics. After almost two decades in the civil services she resigned to follow her passion, ancient India. She lives in Switzerland and writes and speaks across the world on ancient Indian history, society, culture, religion and the epics with special focus on a gendered analysis of ancient India. Her series, Urnabhih, is historical fiction, the books set in Mauryan India; the second book to be published soon. A book on the modern women of ancient India will also be out in 2017.
