All of 17 and about to be a published writer

An Indian student in Dubai has published an English novel, which will be released at the upcoming Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF).

Rida Jaleel, a Grade 12 humanities student of The Indian High School, completed writing the work of fiction when she finished Grade 10.

Titled What Lies Beyond, it narrates the story of a 15-year-old orphan girl. It's a story of how something this girl had committed some 11 years ago changed the course of everything she knew or believed in.... She learns valuable lessons of life during a fortnight which she has to spend on a beachfront for the offence committed in the orphanage, said Rida, who will turn 17 in two months.

An avid reader since childhood, Rida showed a flair for writing since her primary classes, said her mother, Sajna A. Jaleel.

She reads a lot and has written short stories in school magazines, she said. This is her first attempt at writing a book and she got good reviews from her peers, teachers and relatives.

Rida said the tiny sapling of a dream to see her name embossed on the side of a paperback grew in her ever since she was inspired by the quote of children's writer Judy Bloom: The best books come from someplace deep inside. You don't write because you want to, but because you have to.

Sometimes, like other kids, I also get addicted to my phone and social media ... But I always believe that a physical book is the best thing you can always treasure, said Rida.

The budding author has already faced the hardships in getting a book published. But her parents backed her and helped her fulfill her dream. Initially we didn't know how to go about publishing it ... We parents felt bad that it took us so long for getting her book published. But now we are so glad that she is finally going to get a good platform at the SIBF to release her book, said her mother.

The release is scheduled at the SIBF from 7.45pm on November 5, she said, adding that Book Land bookshop has agreed to distribute the 168-page fiction printed by Al Ghurair Printing.

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