Since her childhood, Kiran had been into books. As she grew up she took writing professionally. She recently launched her debut book, The Reluctant Detective. She is also an active blogger, media consultant and a freelance writer.
Apart from all this, she is also the founder of India Helps, a volunteer network which works with disaster victims. This organization was set up post 26/11 and has a network of volunteers across India and abroad.
We caught up with her recently when she visited one of the leading bookstores in the city for a book reading of The Reluctant Detective. The Punekar brings to you the snippets of their conversation with the smart and talented author Kiran Manral.
What was Kiran Manral like before turning into an author?
Since I was a kid I used to love to read and write. My mother always felt that I would grow up and write a book. But that somehow never happened until earlier this year. In my earlier day I used to write for The Asian Age, The Times of India and Cosmopolitan. After my son was born I gave up my job to be a full time mother. Later, I turned into a freelance wirter, blogger and a media consultant.
Why did you finally decide to write a book?
After giving up my job, I continued with writing. My mother would always tell me that I should write a book but it somehow never came through. My mother’s repeated coaxing made me look back at my life. That’s when I realised that I hadn’t done anything big so far. This book was written with an intention to not just fulfil my mother’s wish but also to move a step towards my goal of being an author.

Read more here.