Meet these teen authors from India

For the talented, age is just a number - even in the literary world. As challenging it is to write a book, two Indian wunderkids - Saranya Bhattacharjya, 16, and Nikki Khanna, 15 - have already begun their journeys in school.

Saranya's collection of poetry, 'Clash with Reason', has not just drawn celebrity endorsements but, she has pledged the entire proceeds from the book to The Mitr Trust, works towards providing support and opportunities to members of the transgender community.

The idea of compiling her poems into a book was born during the lockdown, when Saranya witnessed the plight of the community during the pandemic. She then began to work towards creating the book which involved help from her friends contributing with their artworks, she says.

Calling writing her safe haven, Saranya says she feels very strongly about exclusion. I use it as a catalyst to express my views about issues I feel strongly about, she says.

Nikki, on the other hand, weaves stories around love and romance, and began after reading a lot of young adult fiction, including books by authors Christina Lauren and Colleen Hoover.

Although she publishes many of her stories on the social storytelling platform Wattpad, her book 'Stuck In Paris' is her first published novel. It focuses on two very distant characters who go to Paris for a school trip and then blossom a romance from there on.

"I have been writing simply because it makes me happy and is a hobby, but knowing that what I do is appreciated and known by so many people definitely keeps me motivated to continue," she says.