Mumbai-based writer Mandira Mazumder’s passion for writing started in her girlhood by writing diaries. She captured her joys and fears of life in the hilly town of Jamshedpur, which was her home.

Mandira lovingly remembers the old stately building in the city, surrounded by orchards. She grew up amidst flora and fauna.

As a girl, she had always been a Bibliophile who absorbed anything that came her way. She read classics in English, Bengali, and Hindi which enabled her to have a macro view of human life and a cosmopolitan outlook.

Later, in college, she was more drawn to the contemporary writings of DH Lawrence or Virginia Woolf.

Among others, Edgar Allan Poe, the Bronte Sisters, Rabindranath Tagore, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Sarat Chandra, Arthur Hemingway, Eriq Maria Remarque, Irving Stone, Brahm Stoker, Mary Shelley, and Daphne Du Maurier were her favorite poets and writers.

Her family introduced her to the world of Music and Literature. She loved reading War Novels and books on Global History. Her geo-political awareness evolved through family discussions, magazines, and English newspapers.

Hollywood Horrors fascinated her. Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde resonated with some of the quirky characters in her family. She often perceived their inner demons that led to the suffering of these impulsive characters who made wrong decisions in life.

Yet, some with a Machiavellian cold mind were deft in hiding their calculative schemes, dissimulating goodness.

Despite the ultimate human appeal and the note of redemption in her books, the dark psyche of human nature always fascinated her.

The paranormal stories of Tagore, with gothic elements, captivated her, and later, she developed a fascination for Stephen King.

Initially, her stories were published in Ezine from 2013 onwards. They recognized her with an Expert Author Certificate. She completed her creative writing course at the British Council with a distinction.

Mandira experienced catharsis by writing her first trilogy, “Even Caged Birds

Sing”(2020). It is about three phenomenal women battling the dark forces in their lives. Her gripping and entertaining rendition captured attention globally.

The book gave her a sound reader base and rave reviews.

Mandira’s next Crime Thriller, “Her Untamed Soul” (3 parts in 2021), was well-acknowledged by significant reviews.

She fine-edited the book and republished it as “Phoenix” in 2022. In the same year, she received the Asian Literary Award for the quality of her books.

After a long experiment, she completed her hauntingly riveting novel in 2023. This upcoming horror book, to be hitting shelves in 2024, is the first English gothic fiction blending European Gothic Tropes and Indian Setting.

The taste of India can be felt in the description of nature’s tropical beauty and its fearless tribal heroine, Zira who bloomed in the heart of the purple forest of Kalahandi.

Despite other intriguing characters, Zira is unique in her singular presence. She defies convention; drives the plot forward, and breathes a fresh life into the Saga of two generations of crime and curse.

What makes this book modern is its “psychological fear” that resonates in the mind and lingers.

The book portrays the Beauty and the Ugly in life.

Mandira is an English teacher to Senior Secondary Students. She has also guest-lectured in English at Indira Gandhi National Open University.