Ranjit Lal was born in Kolkata in 1955, and educated in Mumbai, graduating in Economics and Sociology. As a freelance writer and columnist, he has over a thousand articles, short stories, features and photo-features published in over fifty newspapers and magazines in India and abroad. He has special interest in areas like natural history, photography, humour, satire and automobiles, on which he writes for both adults and children. He is one of the few Indian journalists to write satire and humour on a sustained basis. He has authored several books including The Crow Chronicles, The Life and Times of Altu Faltu, That Summer at Kalagarh, The Bossman Adventures, Enjoying Birds, Birds of Delhi, Birds from My Window, The Caterpillar Who Went on a Diet and Other Stories, When Banshee Kissed Bimbo and The Battle for No.19. Ranjit Lal lives in Delhi.