Media Release
Mangaluru, Feb 26: Shinead Fernandes is a fourteen-year-old girl studying at St Aloysius Gonzaga School. Born to Sharal and Samith Fernandes, her writing journey began a little more than two years ago, in 2019, when she decided to write a book of her own, and it took her a year and a half to complete it. The Incident was officially published on February 15.
‘The Incident’, by Shinead, is the first edition of a six book-long series, Celestium, and is going to be followed by five more books. It follows the journey of Aiden and Allen Layne as they part take in the ‘Trial of Yaxford’, a set of exams that could get them admitted into Yaxford, Academy of the Arcane.
Her inspiration and the key to her desire of writing was books themselves. She has been a vigorous reader since the age of eight and has read many books since.
Her goal is to reach out to as many readers as possible, in India and abroad and for people to read and love her books as she loves them, and maybe even inspire people into writing.
Fr Melwin Pinto SJ, rector, St Aloysius Institutions, after releasing the book, marvelled at how the young author had managed to pen a novel at such an early age. He further added, “One needs tremendous imagination and creativity to write such novels.”
Fr Melwyn Anil Lobo SJ, principal, St Aloysius Gonzaga School speaking on the occasion said, “It is a great moment of joy for the school as one of our own students Shinead Fernandes of class 8 has come out with a novel. She is a child prodigy and an exceptionally gifted student. She will be definitely an inspiration for all the Gonzagaites.” He also congratulated Chinmay Sachidananda of class 8 and Adil Arun of class 6 for their short stories. He further expressed, “They are all budding writers and many more will emerge from among our school.”
On the occasion, Chinmay S, class 8 student, and Adil Arun, a class 6 boy, were also felicitated for publishing their short stories in a book titled ‘Stories and Sense’. Class 6 student Valerie Janice Rodrigues was felicitated for making it to the top 41 out of 489 students in a Spell Bee competition organised by Rotary Club, Mangaluru.
The welcome address was delivered by Aparna Suresh, vote of thanks was proposed by Veena Mayekar, and the programme was meticulously compered by teacher Laveena Nightingale. Vidya Esther was the convenor of the programme.