Akshaya K. Rath graduated from the University of Hyderabad with a specialization in alternative Indian poetry and postcolonial sexualities. His articles and monographs on Indian poetry and queer theory have been published by journals such as Kavya Bharatiand Scripta Humana. Presently, he is Assistant Professor at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, and teaches Creative Writing, Poetry and Theories for Alterity. His interests include historical texts of the colonial period with a special focus on the discourse of criminality. Secret Writings of Hoshang Merchant (OUP) is his most recent work.