Dr. Manjiri Prabhu holds a Doctorate in Communication Science, is an award-winning international author, a short-filmmaker, and the Curator & Founder/Director of two international festivals Pune International Literary Festival and International Festival of Spiritual India (for Humanity & Wisdom).
She has authored 20 books and directed over 200 children’s TV programmes and more than 50 short fiction and travel films. The first female mystery Author to be published outside India, Prabhu has been acknowledged as a pioneer in India among women writers of mystery fiction and has completed 52 years in the world of writing.
Labelled as the ‘Indian Agatha Christie’, Prabhu is a master storyteller, and her novels are unique masterpieces with ingenious plots, memorable characters, and evocative language. Prabhu has taken Indian mystery fiction to a global market and set a high bar. Her book ‘The Rampur Raza Mystery’ (A Sassy Library Thriller) was recently launched by the Hon. President of India Smt. Droupadi Murmu.
Dr. Shashi Tharoor gives Prabhu credit for ‘Exoticizing the occident through intrepid, compelling storytelling” and says that Dan Brown has found his match.
As the Founder/ Director of Pune International Literary Festival, Prabhu has brought Pune city on the international map of Literature and Arts festivals. She believes that literature heals and is a prerequisite to a peaceful society. The International Festival of Spiritual India (For Humanity and Wisdom) is a unique, free festival which aims to help people find a direction in life by supplying them with tools, guidance and a purpose. She has been awarded A Global Woman Leader by the 10th World Women Leadership Congress Awards 2023, 'Inspirational Women of Maharashtra -Excellence in the field of Writing’ (2017) and ‘Most Admired Leader of Maharashtra' by ERTC Global Herald (2017).
In Conversation with Yasser Usman, award winning television journalist, editor & author.