The Freedom Seeker -
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Ruchira Gupta

Author Artist Activist

The Freedom Seeker

A Journey of Courage, A Story of Hope

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"The Freedom Seeker shows young readers there is also hope." 
— Alan Gratz, author of Refugee
"Helps readers see, act, and heal."
 — Aida Salazar, Pura Belpré Honor Award-winning author of Ultraviolet and Land of the Cranes.
"A must-read for young people and adults alike."
 — Jason De León, National Book Award-winning author of Soldiers and Kings and The Land of Open Graves: Living and Dying on the Migrant Trail
"A compelling narrative about an important part of migration."
School Library Journal
“A riveting story of love, hope, and survival.”
Kirkus Starred Reviews
“…optimistic and steadfast tone…rings true across grim depictions of loss.”
Publishers Weekly Starred Review
Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

Books

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The Freedom Seeker

Follow Simi from India to the US through the Arizona desert in this riveting tale of migration and courage.
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Discussion Guides
Proceeds support migrant service projects.

I Kick and I Fly

Heera’s father wants to sell her into the sex trade. She fights back with kung fu.
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Shop International Editions & Translations
Discussion Guides
Proceeds support girls' education in red-light areas.

Meet Ruchira

Ruchira Gupta is the author of I Kick and I Fly and The Freedom Seeker, and a lifelong activist working to end sex trafficking. An Emmy-winning documentarian, she founded Apne Aap with survivors from her film The Selling of Innocents. Her advocacy has shaped global laws and earned her the French Ordre National du Mérite. She advises the UN, teaches human trafficking and migration at NYU, and writes social justice adventure books to inspire change. Through story and action, Ruchira empowers readers and policy makers alike to build a world where every girl is safe, free, and valued.

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"I believe in a world in which no child is bought or sold."
Ruchira Gupta

Events

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09/03/2025
@ 7:00pm EST

The Freedom Seeker: An Immersive Migrant Performance

Bowery Poetry Club, NYC
From the new novel by Ruchira Gupta — writer, activist, and founder of Apne Aap — this immersive migrant performance is produced by Rattapallax and Shubra Prakash, supported by the New York State Council on the Arts and Bowery Poetry Club, and performed by migrant actors, with poetry and music interwoven.
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09/06/2025
@ 4:00pm

Using Story to Change the World, and Transform Ourselves

W. Polk St., just east of Clark St., Chicago, IL.
Featuring Jimmie Briggs, Vanity Fair Contributor ("We're All George Floyd Now"), activist and YA novelist Ruchira Gupta, Girls Bazaar in conversation with Authors and Center for Story Witness Co-Creators, R. Clifton Spargo and Anne K. Ream.
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10/10/2025
@ 6:30 - 9:00 pm

The Last Girl Awards

725 Park Avenue New York, NY 10021
A rare and inspiring opportunity to be in the room with global changemakers redefining what freedom means. Hear from Nobel Peace Laureate Nadia Murad, Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau, filmmaker and Olympian Mary Mazzio, human rights advocate Taina Bien-Aimé, and feminist icon Sayeda Hameed. Hosted by actor Reshma Shetty, the evening features bold reflections, lively wine reception, and a book signing with The Freedom Seeker author Ruchira Gupta. Presented in partnership with Apne Aap.
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News

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Sponsor a Girl like Simi or Heera

I've shaped laws, built movements, and supported over 20,000 women and children through Apne Aap to find safety, education and opportunities.
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I paint what I protect—girls, nature, and freedom.

My work is rooted in my mother’s garden in Forbesganj and the lives of girls I’ve known across India and the world.
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For Parents, Educators and Activists

Use these free resources to bring The Freedom Seeker and I Kick and I Fly into classrooms, book clubs and movements for change.
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New Release

Ruchira Gupta is an Emmy winning journalist turned activist dedicated to end sex trafficking.
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The Freedom Seeker I Kick and I Fly Media Kit Contact
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Out August 5th
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