A life altering moment

‘Stories begin and they end For they are footsteps of the dead’

As a teenager, one could not comprehend writing a book let alone publishing it. My journey as writer didn’t start by writing, rather I started as an orator. On 11 November, I attended an Open Mic event in Winterfell Café as an orator. Fortunately, the event was in collaboration with Lieper Publication which paved way to the opportunity to get published and become an author. For this event, I decided to speak about the tragic part of my life and the most beautiful one: my grandmother. However, speaking up about my traumatic past was not easy, it took a lot of courage.

Fortunately, everyone at the event liked my oration and I was given an offer by Lieper Publication to publish my novel. I would say it was a moment of utter bliss back then but as I look back today, I would say it was a life altering moment. I proceeded with signing up with Lieper Publication and took about 8 days to finish writing my story. Penning down a tragic tale while also reliving it was quite difficult but writing a book was a self-amusing experience. However, experiencing myself first time as a writer took me on a roller coaster of emotions; the joy of portraying your emotions, the pain of reliving it all in your head and communicating with your reader at the same time. After finishing my novel, I started writing poetry and never looked back. As I already said it was a life altering decision for someone like me, my life was not the same anymore, I was not the same anymore. As Robert Frost said in his poem ‘The Road Not Taken’:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-

Took the one less travelled by

And that has made all the difference

Books became a constant companion for me: whether reading or writing them. Publishing my book moulded me in a way that made me decide on my career path. ‘Academia’, as an enthusiast who indulges in avid reading and writing. Academia seemed like a field I belong  and I wanted to continue to read, write, learn and inspire others to also read extensively, be it literature, articles or pieces of texts. Followed by these events, I decided to pursue a Bachelors(hons) in English Literature and Creative Writing.

Oh Cancer, you stole her is the outcome of my passion for books.