“Always Anjali” Author Sheetal Sheth Brings Protagonist Diversity To Children’s Literature

By Sailaja Joshi

From Like a Boss Girls

Sheetal Sheth is an actress, activist, and the author of Always Anjali, a children’s book about a young Indian-American girl named Anjali who is bullied by other kids for being different, due in part to her unusual name. Always Anjali follows Anjali’s personal journey toward making peace with her unique identity; detailing the struggles and obstacles that Anjali is able to overcome in order to discover the power of celebrating her authentic self. In Sheth’s own words, “It’s really about a girl who has to embrace that being an individual is her superpower.”

Sheth’s personal narrative bears notable similarities to that of her book’s fictional protagonist. In the 1990s, Sheth embarked upon an acting career after graduating with honors from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. At the time, there was little South Asian representation in Hollywood and racial prejudice often appeared to be an under-the-radar fixture of the industry.

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