‘You Don’t Find Time, You Just Follow Your Passion!’, Odia Writing Prodigy Anantinee

‘You Don’t Find Time, You Just Follow Your Passion!’, Odia Writing Prodigy Anantinee

Today, young girls and teenagers are achieving feats and scripting their stories that many adult women and men find difficult to do. When it comes to talent, age is just a number. Odia girl and writing prodigy Anantinee Mishra’s book ‘Manhattan To Munnar’ was published in Odia as ‘Manhattan Ru Munnar’ and was released by CM Naveen Patnaik on February 10. 

Manhattan Ru Munnar tells the tale of two sisters and their journey as they grow up through life’s challenges. Initially, Anantinee had planned two different stories but later put them together to write the novel. The title of the book refers to the journey that the sisters take from the north-eastern US to south India and how life happened along the way. 

This is Anantinee’s second book. She has been a voracious reader since she was a kid. No wonder she has already written so much by the age of 13. Her first story was of around 500 words which was published in the magazine Children’s World. This boosted her interest in writing. She kept up with her passion until she realised that she can write a full length novel. 

Ruskin Bond and authors of classic literature like Tolstoy, Shakespeare and Wordsworth are her inspiration. Although she wants to get into the civil services, she hopes that she can continue to write. 

Her first book,’Treasure of Short Stories’, an anthology of 14 short stories which is a depiction of her own experience at school, home and outside world. Anantinee studies in class 8 and apart from being an author, she is also a TED speaker, content creator and podcaster.

Anantinee has earned many accolades and has been conferred the ‘Prodigy Author’ title and an honorary diploma by the Vice President of India M Venkaiah Naidu at the 39th World Congress of Poets. She is also a recipient of ‘Young Achievers’ Award’ at the Gurgaon Literature Festival, 2019.

Apart from writing she likes to play the piano and play tennis.