Youngblood/Ensemble Studio Theatre Finalist (2023)
Art House INKubator Program (2023)
Steppenwolf Theatre Literary Apprenticeship & Fellowship (2020)
 Judith Barlow Prize Runner Up (2019)

Events/Spoken

Brooklyn Public Library - Intellectual Freedom Teen Meetup: Self-Care for Activists (2024)

LOOOM, a French arts and performance festival exploring intersectionality through collaboration. (2021)

Dismantling Cultural Structures of Oppression, The Unmistakable Creative (2021)

Press

“The best books to read this March, according to bestselling author Emma Straub” - The Today Show

Named Best Romance: “Straub called this new romance from the imprint 831 Stories ‘sexy.’”

“A Gift for Every Type of Girlfriend” - The Strategist

“For the girlfriend who loves a page-turner.”

“48 Most Anticipated Queer Books Coming Out December 2024 and January 2025” - Autostraddle

“Finding ammonites” - The Michigan Daily

“Cathy Park Hong’s work changed the way I think about myself. Upasna Barath’s podcast and writing for Rookie speak to me like no one else can. Ocean Vuong’s poetry. Aimee Nezhukumatathil’s “World of Wonders.”

“Why Videographer Upasna Barath is Rookie of the Year” - Study Breaks Magazine

“The North Central College student, author and serialized videographer for Tavi Gevinson’s renowned girl-power publication is writing to survive.”

“Rookie Brought the Inclusive Spirit of Zines to the Internet Era” - The New Yorker

“7 Essays to Read This Week” - BuzzFeed

“Having spent her childhood in both the United States and India, Upasna Barath never felt like she belonged in either of her homelands. In India, the other kids made fun of her Hindi pronunciation and American lunches. But things were still hard for Barath when she moved back to the States. This week, she wrote an essay about cultural assimilation, race, and fitting in.”