Shankari Chandran was raised in Canberra, Australia. She spent a decade in London, working as a lawyer in the social justice field. She eventually returned home to Australia, where she now lives with her husband and four children. She is the auhor of Song of the Sun God, The Barrier, Safe Haven, Unfinished Business and Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens, which won the 2023 Miles Franklin Literary Award.