Sowmya is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and independent financial consultant based in the Middle East (Bahrain).
She runs this blog and the Facebook group 1ACross, where seasoned cruciverbalists interact while setting and solving clues. She compiled the book Cryptic Crossroads, featuring an exclusive set of crosswords by the members of 1ACross, to raise money for cancer cure and research in 2017. This was followed by Cryptic Crossroads Vol.2 in 2019 and Cryptic Crossroads Vol.3 in 2021.
Sowmya has set 127 weekly themed crosswords for Cat.a.lyst (part of The Hindu Business line), which were published for over two years, until 2016.
She has also set for “The Preston Pages”, a UK publication, under the pseudonym “Hypatia”. A number of community grids have been put together by her, some of which used the pseudonym “Brainiac”.
In 2019, Sowmya joined the panel of crossword setters for “The Hindu’. Her first THC puzzle was published on March 6, 2019.
In 2022, Sowmya joined Amuselabs as Puzzle Editor and is in charge of creating Mini crosswords, and other puzzles such as Wordsearch, Wordrow etc. that appear in a range of publications.
Interviews / Press Clippings
Gulf Weekly – Proud Winners (Jan. 2022)
Gulf Daily News – Cryptic Challenge (Jan. 2022)
Gulf Daily News – Cracking the Code (Aug. 2021)
Gulf Weekly – Cryptic on the move (Oct. 2019)
Gulf Weekly – Crochet / Amigurumi (2nd Guinness Record) (Nov. 2017)
Gulf Weekly – Clues for a Good Cause (Sep. 2017)
Paws for Puzzles (Sep. 2015).
Crossword Unclued (Nov. 2014)
She tweets a clue a day with the hashtag #Crackingcryptics on Twitter @somsram. Here are some clues in the Cracking Cryptics – Archives
Click Here for the links to her puzzles in “The Hindu”
Click Here for links to other puzzles..
Hi Sowmya,
I am one of your followers on Twitter and also follow 1across. I have attempted creating a crossword. Can i submit it for 1across?
Rgds
Arshad
Hi Arshad. I have sent you a mail about what files I would need to test solve / publish. Please check and respond at your convenience.