BIOS


	Tsering Wangmo Dhompa is the author of My rice tastes like the lake, In the Absent Everyday, and Rules of the House (Apogee Press, Berkeley USA). Rules of the House was a finalist for the Asian American Literary Awards in 2003. Tsering was raised in the Tibetan exile communities of Nepal and India and now lives in California.

	Bhuchung D. Sonam was born in Tibet. In exile, he studied at the Tibetan Children's Village School in Dharamsala, India. His books include Dandelions of Tibet, Muses in Exile: An Anthology of Tibetan Poetry, Conflict of Duality and Songs from a Distance.

	Tenzin Tsundue is a writer-activist born to a refugee family in Manali, North India. He is the author of three books: Crossing the Border, KORA: stories & poems and Semshook: Essays on Tibetan Freedom Struggle. His writings have been published in numerous magazines and dailies; and his literary skills won him the first-ever 'Outlook-Picador Award for non-fiction' in 2001. Tsundue has no permanent residence.

	Tenzin Dickyi was born to a Tibetan refugees family in North India. She studies at the Tibetan Children's Village School and later completed her BA from Harvard University. Dickyi is currently pursuing creative writing at the Columbia University.

	Tsamchoe Dolma did her schooling from Tibetan Children's Village school, Dharamshala and holds a bachelor's degree in science. She admires creativity, respects arts and loves writing. Tsamchoe has now moved to Europe.

	G.C. (Gendun Choephel) (1964-1992) was born in Dharamshala, India and studied in Tibetan Children's Village school. He lived a short and tumultuous life of dreams, drugs, desperation and rift. When he died under mysterious circumstances, all he left behind was a dark-blue diary full of verses reflecting his love for Tibet and an ounce of imaginings..

	K. Dhondup (1952-1995) was born in Rupin Gang of upper Dromo, Southern Tibet. He was a poet, historian and journalist. His works include Songs of the Sixth Dalai Lama, The Water- Horse and Other Years: a history of 17th and 18th century Tibet, The Water-Birds and other Years: a history of the 13th Dalai Lama and after and Mystery of Tibetan Medicine. He passed away on May 7, 1995 in New Delhi. ---

	Ngodup Paljor (1948-1988) walked over a bridge from the highlands of Western Tibet to a life in Alaska's largest city. Along the way he was a refugee, a monk and a student and was fluent in Tibetan, Hindi, Sanskrit, Pali, Thai and English. He served as a translator for His Holiness the Dalai Lama and was an assistant professor of Tibetan studies at the University of Hawaii. Paljor died in an accident at the Port of Anchorage, while working as a longshoreman on October 25, 1988. ----

	Gyalpo Tsering completed his schooling from the prestigious Dr. Graham's Homes in Kalimpong. In 1973 he joined the Tibetan resistance then operating from Mustang, in Western Nepal. Later he worked at the Information and Publicity Office of H. H. the Dalai Lama (now the Department of Information and International Relations, DIIR) in Dharamsala, India. Gyalpo has now settled in Canada.

	Tenzing Rigdol a contemporary Tibetan artist, was born to a Tibetan refugee family in Nepal. Rigdol's artwork ranges from painting, sculpture, drawing to video installation. His books include 'R' The Frozen Ink (2009), Anatomy of Night (2011) and Butterfly's Wings (2011).

	Tsering Dolkar was born in Tibet. In exile, she studied at the Tibetan Children's Village School. Tsering has now settled in Canada and regularly writes in her popular blog - www.drugmo.wordpress.com

	Tsoltim Ngima Shakabpa was born in Lhasa, Tibet on September 7, 1943. He was educated in Tibet, India and the United States. He had served the Tibetan Government in-Exile in India and was a senior international banker in the United States until he was diagnosed with stomach cancer in1993. He battled his way to good health through meditation and western medicine but was struck down again with a debilitating stroke in 1999. Despite these setbacks in 2002, Mr. Shakabpa wrote a book of poems entitled, RECORDS D'UN TIBETA, which has been translated and published in the Catalan language by the prestigious Spanish publishing firm, Pages Editors. In April 2002, he received the EDITOR'S CHOICE AWARD for Outsanding Achievement in Poetry from the International Library of Poetry. He continues to write poetry and fight for the independence of Tibet, and maintains a healthy attitude toward life.

	Dagyap Jigme Dorjee is a Tibetan poet who lives in Gangtok, Sikkim. He studied at Christ College and founded a school for poor children.

	Chukie Shakabpa Wangdu was born in Tibet. She grew up in India, and has lived in New York City since 1966, first as a student, and later as an activist in an effort to draw attention to the plight of Tibet, while working as an educator and raising a family. Her personal activism began in 1977 when she watched and then precipitated a call-in protest against day-time TV talk show host, Stanley Seigal, when he spewed racist remarks about Tibetans during his monologue. In March, 1991, as the president (1990-1994) of the Tibetan Women's Association (TWA)'s first north american branch, Ms. Wangdu attended the World Women's Congress for a Healthy Planet in Miami, Fl., where she brought attention to the human rights violations and environmental degradation taking place in occupied-Tibet. Her personal activism for Tibetan freedom has continued through her participation in protest rallys, walks and other actions, including articles and letters on digital sites and print media. Ms. Wangdu believes a truly free Tibet will heal the Tibetan plateau and help promote the sustainability of planet earth. Read her recent article: www.tibetanpoliticalreview.org/articles/tibetansarenolongerpleadingtheyaredeclaring

	Tenzing Dolma is the first place winner of the 2011 100 Thousand Poets for a Free Tibet Poetry Contest for Young Tibetans judged by Tsoltim N. Shakabpa.

	Samuel Sangay Lama is the second place winner of the 2011 100 Thousand Poets for a Free Tibet Poetry Contest for Young Tibetans judged by Tsoltim N. Shakabpa.

	Rigzin Wangchuk -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Ban Tenzin is a Tibetan student at the Tibetan residential school in India. He was born in Nepal and educated in India.

	Teresa Mei Chuc Teresa Mei Chuc was born in Saigon, Vietnam and immigrated to the U.S. under political asylum with her mother and brother shortly after the Vietnam War. Teresa teaches literature and writing at a public inner-city middle school. She has a Masters in Fine Arts in Creative Writing (poetry) from Goddard College in Plainfield, Vermont. Teresa is the author of Red Thread: Poems (2012) and Year of the Hare (2013), a short story in vignettes about her father's struggle with PTSD after the Vietnam War and nine years in "re-education" camp and its effects on him and the family. She enjoys spending time with her sons and doing simple things like watching the trees, sunrise and fireflies.