At an age when kids are probably busy complaining about numerous little things or stuck in a virtual world, Arya Mohapatra is already an author. The 11-year-old has a book titled Delving Deep, a compilation of poems, to her credit. A Class VI student of Loyola School, Arya has received the scholastic writing award in the junior category for her achievement.
Arya, born and brought up in Bhubaneswar, started writing when she was in Class III. Recalling her first piece, she says, “My mother writes Odia poems in her leisure hours, particularly in the evening. Inspired by her, I started giving shape to my feelings through poems. One evening, I penned my first poem titled ‘Professor Ratcliff.’ When I showed it to my parents, they were immensely happy. But my mentor Shyamsundar Rajaram sir could not believe that I had written it. He did a Google search to ascertain whether I had copied the poem from another source. After he had made sure that I had penned the poem, he advised me to read more books to hone my skills.”
Born to Siddharth, senior manager of the insurance cell in KIIT, and Aparajita Mohapatra, an architect, Arya is a voracious reader. Aparajita says, “Arya makes sure to read books by different authors. She hates watching television. Interestingly, she just takes 10-15 minutes to write a poem. I remember one interesting incident. Once she had gone to an eye clinic for a check-up. When the doctor asked her to wait, she just went to the chamber of her father’s office located nearby. To keep herself engaged, she asked for a pen and wrote down her thoughts on a piece of paper. She came up with a beautiful poem titled ‘Saving Trees.’ Her teachers have scolded her many times for writing poems on question papers in the examination hall. She answers all questions before time and then engages herself in writing poems in the time remaining. She is a passionate writer.”
Arya has written many poems on nature. “I write poems on subjects that people usually ignore. I love nature and can always perceive various aspects of nature with child-like excitement – aspects that many take for granted. As a writer, my central themes revolve around nature. The first rains after summer and petrichor mesmerise me and so do the multitudinous facets of nature. I believe that one of the most creative ways to occupy myself is to sit amidst nature and drink in her grace.”
She continues: “I also love reading horror, classic, fiction, action, mystery and young adult type of books. I would like to pen a horror book in that genre soon.”
Her talent is not confined to writing only. She is a good painter and excels in academics. She has won medals in the International English Olympiad, International Mathematics Olympiad, International General Knowledge Olympiad and National Science Olympiad organised by SOF.
Aparjita says, “We never push her to do anything. Be it writing poems or expressing her thoughts in paintings, she does it herself. The founder of the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences recently invited her to participate in the National Children’s Literary Festival scheduled to be held November 18-20. My proudest moment was when her debut book Delving Deep, published by Cyberwit, was released on Gandhi Jayanti this year. We had earlier approached Penguin to publish her book. But they told us that poems don’t have much of a market in India. They suggested that we send them a few short stories written by her. Arya has started writing novels; in fact, she is all set to complete two novels.”
Offbeat profile
Nickname: Dudu
Favourite books: Harry Potter, Three Sisters Three Queens
Favourite authors: Philippa Gregory, Alison Weir
Favourite food: Veg Manchurian, Pizza
Hobbies: Reading books, eating and listening to music
Inspiration: Father and music
Aim: To be a writer-cum-artist
RASHMI REKHA DAS, OP