Author. Speaker. Storyteller.
Come for the stories.
Stay for the heart.
Annika Sharma is an author, speaker, and storyteller who writes joyful, heartfelt South Asian fiction infused with humor, depth, and cultural nuance.
A lifelong wordsmith and communications expert, Annika was signed to Sourcebooks for a three-book romantic comedy series centering a group of South Asian friends. Her debut novel, Love, Chai, and Other Four-Letter Words, was named an Amazon Editors’ Pick and a Library Journal Best Book of 2021, receiving multiple starred reviews. Its follow-up, Sugar, Spice, and Can’t Play Nice, launched in 2023 to five positive trade publication reviews.
Beyond the page, Annika is the founder of That Desi Spark, one of the largest independently run South Asian podcasts in the U.S., where she explored topics ranging from identity and ambition to mental health and community. The show led to appearances on the BBC, in Forbes, and even on a national Spotify billboard campaign. It also inspired a thriving book club and workshop series designed to uplift and inform the South Asian diaspora. It was acquired in 2024.
A passionate advocate for inclusive storytelling, mental health, and representation, Annika has spoken at institutions such as Yale, Columbia, Penn State, ViacomCBS, and more. She brings a warm, vibrant voice to her work—whether she’s writing books, speaking on panels, or connecting with readers online. She currently serves on the board for two mental health organizations: South Asian Americans for Change and Sai Connect.
Originally from Pennsylvania and now based in the New York City area, Annika is a proud mom, Marvel fan, Bollywood enthusiast, and a firm believer in the magic of long conversations.
Thbooks
Love, Chai, & Other Four-Letter Words
September 21, 2021
In 2017, Annika signed a book deal with Sourcebooks for a romcom series entitled, The Chai Masala Club, about a group of friends with South Asian backgrounds and their culturally-conflicted love stories.
The first book, Love, Chai, and Other Four-Letter Words, was released on September 21, 2021. It follows Kiran, an Indian-American with family drama, who falls in love with Nash (who has reasons of his own for avoiding romance). Their sparkling, romantic, and funny story is set against the backdrop of bucket lists and the New York City skyline. Love, Chai received two starred reviews from Booklist and Library Journal, and was named an Amazon Best Book of September 2021, Apple Books' Writer to Watch, and Library Journal Best Book of 2021. Order below.
Sugar, Spice, & Can't Play Nice
May 2, 2023
Payal is a girl on the verge--of living a life she's always dreamt of, becoming a rising star in fashion, and...of marriage?!
When her parents insist she marry fellow Londoner and serial dater Ayaan Malhotra in order to save their company, Payal has a choice: stick it to her dysfunctional family but put her hard-earned fashion success on hold...or get engaged to save her family's fortune and rescue her own dream-come-true life.
Ayaan has always been seen as the reckless spare to his brother, the golden child heir to their parents' company. A little wild, a little broken, and desperate to prove himself, Ayaan agrees to get engaged to Payal -- on the condition that he gets 50 percent stake in his parents' company.
Neither Payal nor Ayaan anticipate the challenges of keeping their respective agendas behind the engagement to themselves: a meddlesome grandmother, a spurned ex-girlfriend, two families with stakes of their own, a fashion brand on the line, and, unexpectedly, actually liking each other. But as the two race toward an impending engagement ceremony date, they realize that maybe they aren't just in this for business...and perhaps, love is in the cards after all. Order below.
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