UAE-based Indian teenager releases first novel

Sharjah - An admirer of authors such as Khaled Hossieni and Cecilia Ahern, Rida embarked on writing this novel when she was 13 and completed it when she was 15.

A 16-year old student of Indian High School, Dubai has released a novel at the ongoing Sharjah International book Fair (SIBF).
Rida Jaleel, a grade 12 student, who hails from the Indian state of Kerala saw a packed hall, Book Forum, witnessing the signing of her book "What Lies Beyond" - a story that left one of the film directors, Altas Ali wondering how a "girl of Rida's age could craft a book with such complex, compelling and irresistible dialogue."
The child prodigy who wants to become an "English professor and a writer" said that she has received a lot of positive comments and feedback for her book, along with "some little constructive criticism as well."
An admirer of authors such as Khaled Hossieni and Cecilia Ahern, Rida embarked on writing this novel when she was 13 and completed it when she was 15.
"Being someone who was already extremely passionate about Literature, it was my dream to have my work published and this dream finally came true in 2015.
"My first full length novel, 'What Lies Beyond' was self-published and is set to be distributed by Book Land." The story is about a young 15 year old girl (Felicity) who has always believed that the world was a bitter harsh place with no place for happiness or love. All of this changed when she was sent off to a cove as a punishment for something she had done at her orphanage.
Over there, in that magical place, she met Joy and lots of others who completely changed her perspective on life and love. This is how a punishment trip that lasted two weeks led to the biggest, most prominent turning point in her life.
At the signing of the book, she said; "Everyone has some incidents in their life that mold them and change them for the better. We shouldn't be afraid of change.
"We should embrace it just like how we should embrace all those people and things in our life that are here for a reason."
She thanked her parents, Abdul Jaleel and Sajna Jaleel, for supporting her passion. "Nobody in my family had ever published a book before. So, we were new to the entire process. My parents had to meet some people and try very hard to finally get this."

• Sharjah International Book Fair
• Sharjah