Biography
Deepak Unnikrishnan is a writer, university lecturer and curator. As a writer, he experiments with literary form and focuses on issues of identity, immigration and exile.
His published work includes Temporary People (Restless Books, 2017), a series of fables for Rock, Paper, Scissors: Positions in Play, The National Pavilion of the United Arab Emirates, Venice Biennale (2017) and Coffee Stains in a Camel’s Teacup (Vijitha Yapa Publications, 2004). He was also editor and contributing writer for The State, Dubai (2013–2016).
His work has been included in the exhibitions After Belonging: A Triennale in Residence, On Residence and the Ways We Stay in Transit, Oslo Architecture Triennale (2016) and 1497, Green Art Gallery, Dubai (2016). He also co-curated the poetry and song performance Hekayah: The Story, New York University Abu Dhabi Arts Center, Abu Dhabi (2017).
His work Temporary People won The Hindu Prize, Chennai (2017) and the inaugural Restless Books Prize for New Immigrant Writing, New York (2016), and he was also the recipient of the Gwendolyn Brooks Open Mic Award, Chicago (2014). His work was longlisted for The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, New York (2017), and he was runner-up for the DNA/Out of Print Short Story Contest, Mumbai (2014). He was also a writer in residence at Sangam House, Season 9, Bangalore (2016).
He is currently a lecturer in the Writing Program at New York University Abu Dhabi and was a visiting lecturer at Campus Art Dubai 4.0 (2016).
He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and a Master of Arts in Corporate and Organizational Communication from Fairleigh Dickinson University, Teaneck -Hackensack Campus, US (2003 and 2006, respectively) and a Master of Fine Arts in Writing, School of the Art Institute of Chicago (2013).
Born in 1980 in Mapranam, India, he currently lives and works between Abu Dhabi, Chicago and New York.
