Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is an Indian-born American author, poet, and the Betty and Gene McDavid Professor of Writing at the University of Houston Creative Writing Program. Her short story collection, Arranged Marriage, won an American Book Award in 1996. Two of her novels, The Mistress of Spices and Sister of My Heart, as well as a short story, The Word Love, were adapted into films.

Divakaruni's works are largely set in India and the United States, and often focus on the experiences of South Asian immigrants. She writes for children as well as adults and has published novels in multiple genres, including realistic fiction, historical fiction, magical realism, myth, and fantasy.

Her themes include the Indian experience, contemporary America, women, immigration, history, myth, and the joys and challenges of living in a multicultural world. Her work has been published in over 50 magazines, including the Atlantic Monthly and The New Yorker, and her writing has been included in over 50 anthologies. Her works have been translated into 29 languages, including Dutch, Hebrew, Hindi, and Japanese.

Divakaruni also writes for children and young adults. Her novels One Amazing Thing, Oleander Girl, Sister of My Heart, and Palace of Illusions are currently in the process of being made into movies. Her awards include an American Book Award, a PEN Josephine Miles Award, a Premio Scanno, and a Light of India Award. In 2015, The Economic Times included her in their List of 20 Most Influential Global Indian Women.

In addition to her writing, she is an activist in education and domestic violence fields and is associated with nonprofits like Pratham, Akshaya Patra, Daya, and Maitri. She supports the Houston Food Bank and lives in Houston with her husband, Murthy.