Amruth Settipalli is a fourteen-year-old writer and novelist from Palo Alto, California, and a student at The Nueva School. As a member of the Creative Youth Collective, he develops his writing with Joshua in Studio II. He has also read at the San Mateo Public Library Young Authors Showcase. His writing examines the intersections of philosophy, human nature, and the fluid limits of narrative perspective. Fascinated by how language constructs memory and shapes reality, he explores these themes across his published work and his current novel, aphelion. He is thrilled to share his work at this year’s Lit Crawl.
Daria Roshan Eisner loves the literary arts, especially reading thick fantasy books—a habit that has inspired her own fantasy writing. In Studio I, she is working with Kathryn on her current novel, Sparks of Starfall — a book about four girls who take an unexpected trip to another dimension. In her writing, Daria works to convey large emotions. She once read a book so sad that she had to stop and return to it the next day.
Kajsa Hirshberg is a writer, actress, and artist in eighth grade at Head-Royce School. She lives with her parents and her younger brother, Axel. She loves reading and writing fiction, particularly murder mysteries. Working with Kathryn in Studio I, she has recently begun exploring a different style. Her current project focuses on the lives of foster children, seeking to build awareness and understanding of their experiences. She is excited to share her work with you!
Millie Lynch lends voices to most of the animal kingdom: penguins, pangolins, even blobfish get speaking parts. When not describing the antics of fishy, flighty, or four-legged friends, she is a 7th grader at The Nueva School. This year, she co-founded a Roots & Shoots Club, is on the robotics team, is researching the color “mango” (is it yellow or orange?), and plays steel drums in one band and keyboards in another. Outside of school, she is on a rock climbing team, plays piano, debates current events at League of Creative Minds, and hangs out with her two dogs, Tuck and Henry.
Raya Ilieva is a seventeen-year-old writer from the San Francisco Bay Area. A junior at The Nueva School, she also participated in the 2026 Iowa Young Writers’ Studio. She loves to read and write literary fiction, especially short stories; when not writing, she can be found dancing, hiking, or exploring cities. Raya currently works with Joshua in Studio II.