Sharjah: A 14-year-old Sharjah boy will be making his debut as a published author at the Sharjah International Book Fair on Saturday with the launch of his first book.
Aryan Muralidharan, who is from India and lives in Sharjah with his parents, has pledged to donate proceeds from the sale of his book, A Tryst With Life, to charity. The 40-pager is a collection of six “inspiring” short fiction stories based on real-life experiences of the Grade 8 student. It will be launched at the book fair, taking place at Expo Centre Sharjah, at 6pm on Saturday. Aryan will be present at the launch.
In publishing the book, expected to be priced between Dh10 and Dh15, Aryan said he wanted to inspire his friends and peers to “read and reach their greatest heights in life”.
One of the stories in the collection is about learning from failure.
“All of us encounter failures in life. The message of the story is: don’t feel let down by failures; use them as stepping stones, as determination. It’s about growing up, how to be a leader, and having a ‘never say die’ attitude. We should ask ourselves: where did I go wrong, and how can I learn from that and improve,” Aryan, who attends The Millennium School in Dubai, added.
Another story is about taking care of parents in their time of need. “Parents work hard to make ends meet. They cut their own needs just to see a smile on our face. When children grow up, many of us forget our parents who need our help when they become old.”
Arya has been writing since he was in grade one.
“My parents are my biggest source of inspiration. They used to read to me when I was younger, and they ignited a passion for reading and writing in me. My friends and fellow students have also inspired me. Through my book, based on the values I’ve learnt and the experiences I’ve had, I hope to inspire them also. I’m also very thankful to my teachers who have been very supportive and corrected my mistakes,” he said.
Nagam, his mother, said: “I feel very proud of Aryan and I’m excited about the book launch. It’s a dream come true for him, he has always said he wanted to write a book one day.”
According to an introduction about Aryan in the book, the young author is “also a philanthropist, environmentalist, reader and a musician”. He has won several national and international spelling and mental maths contests.
