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NORTH AMERICAN Newsline OCTOBER 04, 2024 | The Indian Eye 34

Subhra Bhattacharjee has over
20 years of experience in public
policy and programming in climate
change and sustainable develop-
ment, having worked closely with
governments, NGOs, academia, and
the private sector worldwide. She has
worked for the United Nations and
Reserve Bank of India, with a brief
stint in academia.
Bhattacharjee aims to leverage FSC’s membership, network and collabo-
rative partnerships to strengthen global forest stewardship for protection and
sustainable management of the world’s forests.
After this announcement, Bhattacharjee said, “It is an honour and a privi-
lege to join FSC as Director General. We must act urgently to mitigate the on- Sonora Jha is an acclaimed author having written the memoir How to
going global climate and biodiversity crises, and the conservation, restoration, Raise a Feminist Son and the novel Foreign. She had been a renowned jour-
and sustainable use of forests with respect for forest-dependent communities nalist covering crime, politics, and culture in Singapore and India. After that,
is critical for this. In this context, today FSC’s mission and role are more rele- she moved to the United States to earn a PhD in media and public affairs.
vant than ever. I look forward to working with the whole FSC community and Her op-eds, essays, and public appearances have been featured in the New
partners to maximize the contribution of forests to sustainable development.” York Times, and on the BBC. As per the New York Times Book Review, ‘The
Laughter’ is not just a campus novel. it’s also the story of America’s changing
SONORA JHA cultural landscape and the major political and philosophical shifts needed to
uplift and protect the marginalized. This is a smart and hilarious book not just
Writer wins 2024 Washington for anyone who wants to laugh at the absurdity of academia, but for anyone
who wants to become a better person by doing it.
Upon hearing the announcement of the award, Sonora Jha said, “The
State Book Award for Fiction Laughter satirizes, critiques and also turns a loving eye on our region and on
America, so this award feels especially meaningful to me.”
he Washington Center for the Book (an affiliate of the Library of Con- Sonora Jha, PhD, is Associate Dean for Faculty Scholarship and Academ-
gress Center for the Book administered by Washington State Library) ic Community and a Professor in the Communication Department at Seattle
Trecently selected Sonora Jha’s novel ‘The Laughter’ under the catego- University.
ry of Fiction Winner. ‘The Laughter’ by Sonora Jha of Seattle won the 2024
Washington State Book Awards (WSBA) for outstanding books published by To read more about Indian diaspora and Global Indians, log on to and follow
Washington authors in 2023. This is the 58th year of the program, formerly our website www.TheIndianEYE.com
called the Governor’s Writers Awards.

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