An 11-year-old girl from Trivandrum has scaled new heights with the release of her first book ‘Lemonade’, a collection of poems that dwells through the diverse human emotions of sorrow, love and joy, offering a soothing healing experience to the readers.

‘Lemonade’, penned by young poet Anamika Sajan and published by the Kerala State Institute of Children's Literature, was unveiled by former cultural affairs minister Saji Cherian, who handed over its first copy to renowned poet V Madhusoodanan Nair, at a function in Thiruvananthapuram Press Club Hall, on July 13, 2022.

Speaking on the occasion, Madhusoodanan Nair said that the imaginations of 11-year-old Anamika has gifted him an amazing experience. “Many of her imaginations reminded me of Tagore’s ‘Gitanjali’. The child’s parents are truly blessed”, he added.

Praising the budding poet, former minister A K Balan, who felicitated the occasion, said, “The child has a talent of such sorts, which I couldn’t have even dreamt of in my childhood.”

For Anamika, a sixth grade student at Kendriya Vidyalaya Pattom, writing is not merely her creative space, but a coping mechanism too. She ventured into the magical world of books at a very young age and has read nearly 70 books so far. When it comes to writing, Anamika's elder sister Sagariga Sajan is her biggest source of support. “Reading is my inspiration. I love to read classics. Kahlil Gibran’s ‘Broken Wings’ is one of my favorite reads”, says Anamika, a fond reader of fictions and a two-time English Olympiad gold medalist. For her, a book’s value cannot be ascertained. It is not something for a mere one-time use.

An 11-year-old child penning down poems filled with deep emotions can be intriguing for at least some. However, this child prodigy’s mother also shares a similar view. “At times, when she goes for bath, she will ask me for a pen and paper. Sometimes, I may not even understand what she writes. So, I’ll ask her to explain and she never hesitates to do so”, says Anamika’s mother.

“As a child, she writes about feelings and emotions, which she hasn’t even experienced till now. We might be awed at times, but then she’ll say, Acha, do you think all these writers, across the world, are writing only from their experience?”, she adds.

Anamika began jotting down ideas from a very young age itself. However, she embarked into the journey of proper writing only at an age of seven. An introvert by nature, Anamika doesn’t openly talk about her writings. Yet, she never fails to motivate her family to take up the habit of reading. ‘One man lives only one life, but a reader lives a thousand lives', that’s Anamika’s philosophy.

This budding writer, who dreams to have a room full of books at her home, has already begun work on her next endeavor. A book of short stories is also in the offing. As of now, she hopes to pursue English Literature and dreams of becoming an acclaimed author in future.

Anamika Sajan is the daughter of Sajan S, Engineer at ISRO, and Cigimol Jacob, State Project Coordinator, Kerala Social Security Mission. She is the granddaughter of Sathyasheelan Nair and Jagadamma T R.