Leeds solicitor thought he was an author for 30 minutes during his daughter’s music class and his new book is now raising money for charity.
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When solicitor Rohan Krishnarao sat down to watch his five-year-old daughter Amelia at her weekly music class, he didn’t expect to leave with a published children’s book and a mission to raise funds for a cause close to his heart.
Rohan, a father of three and head of legal at a Leeds-based law firm, had no prior experience as an author but managed to write The Cat Who Thought It Was a Dog in just 30 minutes on his phone.
Told through the eyes of a five-year-old girl, Rohan says the story was fittingly inspired by Amelia’s boundless imagination and the idea that you can be anything you want to be.
The heartwarming tale explores themes of identity, self-expression, and belief, all wrapped in the charming story of a cat named Ginger—named after the family pet—who insists it was born to bark.
All proceeds from the this self-published book will go to Ollie’s Army and The Ollie and Amelia Carroll Foundation ( www.olliesarmy.co.uk), which are both dedicated to fighting the rare and fatal Batten disease in children.
The book is also a tribute to Rohan’s late Oulton Cricket Club team-mate and friend, Oliver “Budge” Brown, who tragically passed away earlier this year.
The 42-year-old said: “You could say I was a solicitor who thought I was an author for 30 minutes! It was never a commercial venture for me, so once I published the book I came across a charity called Ollie’s Army through my work.
“Having listened to the parents’ story and what their children were going through—especially as one of the kids is called Amelia—it just clicked. With their son called Oliver and having lost my cricket team-mate and friend Oliver unexpectedly this year, it felt like a clear sign. So that’s why all the money from the sale of the book is going to this charity.”
Rohan, who has previously led charitable initiatives like installing defibrillators in India and Leeds, added: “I wanted to show all my children—Scarlett, James, and Amelia—that if you believe in something, no matter your background, you can make it real. After all, if I can be a published author then a cat can be a dog!”
The book is now available online on Amazon ( https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cat-That-Thought-Was-Dog/dp/1480817945 ), with the author urging readers not just to enjoy the tale, but to join in supporting families battling Batten disease.