High school girl accurately predicts exam papers: Book

Updated on: Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Writing a story to soothe her nerves while preparing for her class X board exams, little did she anticipate that she would be ready to publish her first book at the young age of 15.

For Mumbai-based little girl Shreya Mathur, it was more than what she could believe when her leisure writing was picked up by Harper Collins to be published as a full fledged book.

'But Era Said', Shreya's high-school inspired story of a school girl who can accurately predict question papers, is a humour-laced account of the twists and turns her life witnesses when people discover her special ability.

Now, Kanishka Gupta, her literary agent whom she found herself through the Internet, says the book is sure to attract young readers as also older ones who have a knack for humour.

"I started writing this story in February when I was preparing for my board exams, I used to write more for relaxation and not with the intent of sending it to a publisher, but when my friends read it they insisted I try to get it published," Shreya, who is now almost ready with her draft, told PTI on phone from Mumbai.

It was then that she searched for a literary agency she had read about in newspaper to send her first draft for consultation.

"What surprised me most was the fact that this was a high school girl, and she knew what a literary agency was and she actually contacted us with her draft on her part school drama, part fantasy. I found this staggering and enterprising for a 15 year old," says Kanishka of Writer's Side agency, who helped the Mumbai girl find a publisher.

So, at an age when most of us would be happy to write a worthwhile essay, Shreya is months away from having a book to boast of.

The story that came out of her school experiences, and particularly from one of her friends who had a habit of announcing her predictions though not frequently correct ahead of every exam, was written more as a way to relax during hectic preparations for board exams.

And the girl, who has quite a flair for writing but wants to study architecture, did send her synopsis to Writers' Side on the insistence of her friends but she was more than sure the agency would ignore it given her bio and age.

However, she was quite surprised when Kanishka wrote back to her very soon and started looking for publishers right away.

"I had thought they would just shrug it off after reading my bio, but he replied very quickly, and was very helpful... later whatever changes he suggested in the book I thought were very correct observations," said Shreya who loves to read Jane Austen, Vikaram Seth and Anuja Chauhan.

Kanishka says the book that is quite humorous invited four offers in all and they accepted it on the basis of a proposal when only half of the book was complete.

"I get lot of bad submissions and I was surprised a bit when I saw her bio and age. But I found her really distinctive. She is a very fine observer of people and her writing has a remarkable sense of humour. I found it a laugh aloud one," he says.

"Humour in writing is something which is innate and none can teach it to you... I see her graduating to sophisticated chick lit, I see her writing about topics of greater depth in future," he says about Shreya.

High school girl accurately predicts exam papers: Book

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