'The first print'

While Vineetha Menon was working on her novelette, she had no inkling of the excitement that was in store for her. It was the first time she would experience the thrill of seeing the first prints of her published work.

Vineetha recounts her book launch as a surreal experience – perhaps one of the most memorable events of her life. Recalling the moment of seeing her book displayed alongside those of great writers still makes her smile.

"When the book was launched at Borders in Mall of the Emirates, they had a display stand filled with copies of my book at the entrance. I spent a lot of my free time at the store during the following days," she laughs. "My fondest memory was when I saw a little boy of about six walk straight up to the stand, pick up a copy of my book, look at it and in the next instant, for his own little reason, hugged it to his chest. The moment is unforgettable.

"You could say I'm proud of what I've managed to accomplish. When I held the book for the first time, I remember just feeling its hardback cover and, for some reason, I couldn't bring myself to open it. I can best describe the moment as incredibly satisfying yet overwhelming."

In that moment, Vineetha, a freelance writer, felt she had achieved what she had set out to do. It was the most satisfying moment of the entire experience – from drafting to the final proof of the book. The fact that the book was well received was the icing on the cake.

The novelette Princess Farah and the Legend of Madinat Jumeirah is Vineetha's attempt to blend traditional storytelling with a modern style. She wrote it in association with Jumeirah Retail as a tribute to the legends of Arabia.

It took her three weeks to come up with the initial draft, although many changes followed.

The story is a work of fiction set in Arabia in the 16th century and revolves around a young princess named Farah who lives with her father in Jumeirah. Taking a leaf from the past and shaping it in a modern style, the book makes for an interesting read. Laced with magic, the story transports the reader to a world of make-believe.

"There's a little magic in all our lives," she says. "The story revolves around Madinat Jumeirah, but I wanted to give it the classic easy-read fairytale treatment. I hope it encourages readers to look beyond the obvious."

Although Vineetha has been writing short stories and essays since childhood, the book happened by pure chance. The company she was working for, Insignia, received a brief from their client Jumeirah Group to produce a work of fiction about Madinat Jumeirah.

Vineetha, who had this story brewing in her mind for quite some time, presented the concept to the client and to her delight it was immediately accepted. "I think the book will particularly interest children in the age group 8-14 years," she says.

Vineetha learnt a few important things from the writing experience. "As an author, you have to be involved in every stage – from describing the right look of each character to the illustrator, right through to the final design and researching publishing laws and procedures of the country."

There's no looking back for Vineetha. She has still more stories waiting to make their way into print.

– As told to Vibhuti Arora, a freelance writer based in Dubai