Sharif D Rangnekar is a writer, workplace inclusion consultant, and singer-songwriter. He is the author of the critically acclaimed books, Straight to Normal: My Life as a Gay Man (2019) and Queersapien (2022). He is also the Festival Director of the award-winning Rainbow Lit Fest – Queer & Inclusive and founder of the Rainbow Awards for Literature & Journalism. Sharif brings together over 30 years of experience in the fields of journalism, research, PR, and image management in all he does.
A TEDx speaker, a respected journalist, and award-winning communications professional, Sharif is the frontman of Friends of Linger – a New Delhi-based, multi-genre, multi-artist band.  His band’s track, ‘Head Held High’ is considered to be India’s first song dedication to the LGBT+ community. Sharif also belongs to one of India’s most diverse indie bands, The Original Knock Offs.