Megana Kumar
Megana Kumar is a writer, editor, and translator. She is an editor for the Academic section at Southbound Review and an editor for the Eliot Forum, where she works to investigate Indian literature, especially Tamil literature.
Birth, Education
Megana was born to Rajarajeswari Balasubramanian and Nirmal Kumar Pitchai in Fairfax, Virginia. She is the older sister of Sahana Kumar. She currently studies at the University of Virginia.
Literary Pursuits
In 2022, Megana submitted her translation of B. Jeyamohan's short story 'Beast' for the internationally renowned Mozhi Prize, and was shortlisted for the prize. Her translation received critical acclaim, and was later published in 2025 in The Mozhi Prize Anthology 1 - A House Without Cats and Other Stories by Southside Books.
She translated 'That is the Face' by A. Muttulingam, published in The Dreaming Machine in 2025. She has also translated the story 'Ash', by Pavannan. Megana has written several short stories, including The Story of Songs and Silverfish, which was published in the {in}Visible Magazine at the University of Virginia.
She runs a YouTube channel with her younger sister, Sahana Kumar, on which they primarily post literary reviews.
Literary Events
During the Tamil LitFest in New York (April 3-4, 2026), she was the moderator for a panel with Damion Searls, B. Jeyamohan, and Suchitra Ramachandran.
Editorial Works
She is an editor for the Academic section of the English Weekly Southbound Review. She is also an editor of the Eliot Forum, where she works to investigate Indian literature, especially Tamil literature.
Translations
- Beast - B. Jeyamohan (Short Story)
- That is the Face by A. Muttulingam (Short Story)
- Ash - Pavannan (Short Story)
Links
✅Finalised Page
First published on: 24-Sep-2026, 23:11:15 IST
