Zara Chowdhary

Zara Chowdhary is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Iowa. A multilingual writer and translator specializing in South Asian cultural expressions, she contributes to creative writing and postcolonial studies through both academic and artistic practice.

Education:

• MA in Writing for Performance, University of Leeds
• MFA in Creative Writing and Environment, Iowa State University

Research Interests: Dr. Chowdhary investigates environmental science fiction and speculative literature from the Indian subcontinent, analyzing how South Asian postcolonial identities evolve through fine art, music, street culture, protest theatre, social media, and popular cinema. Her interdisciplinary approach bridges literary analysis with cultural anthropology and environmental humanities.

Notable Awards and Honors:

• PEN America finalist (Nonfiction) for "The Lucky Ones" (2024)
• Asian Television Award for screenwriting (National Geographic India)
• TIME Magazine's Top 10 Nonfiction Books of 2024 (#4) for "The Lucky Ones"

Her professional trajectory spans Bollywood studios, documentary production for Turner Classic Movies, and development of cultural learning materials. She has taught Hindi and South Asian culture at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and instructed at the Tin House Summer Workshop, demonstrating commitment to both academic pedagogy and public-facing cultural work.