Kieran studied in Australia, the United States, and Germany and taught philosophy at the Australian National University in the mid-1980s. Subsequently, he worked in overseas aid, including on a project to design a new poverty measurement. His first novel, German Lessons, was published by Palaver in 2019. He lives in Canberra with his wife Mariko.

The Tidbinbulla Nature Reserve near Canberra, severely burned in both the 2003 and 2019-2020 bushfires, holds deep personal memories and significance for the author.