Ayyappan Adoor had his dream come true recently when his collection of poems was released at the high profile Sharjah International Book Fair.
The release of the collection, titled Ente Lokam , was done by Consul General of India in the United Arab Emirates Vipul by handing over a copy to Sulekha Daud, chairperson of the Sulekha Group of Hospitals and a prominent social worker, on November 8. His mother, Reshmi, his constant companion and mentor, recalls that there was a glint of surprise in the eyes of many who came to witness the book release for, the author is only all of 14 years of age and his author identity a put-on, a pen name.
The real Ayyappan Adoor is Medhaj Krishna, a differently abled student of Class 8 at Raja Kesava Das NSS Higher Secondary School at Sasthamangalam in the city. He began writing as a seven-year-old and moved from his native Adoor to Thiruvananthapuram for speech therapy and joined the school just two months ago. Reshmi had given up her job as a Malayalam teacher and joined the school at Sasthamangalam as a resource teacher so that she could be with her son even as his father, Pradeep Kumar of Ezhamkulam, continued to work in the Postal Department in Abu Dhabi.
Favourite authors
He has been articulating through his poems ever since he wrote his first poem about a butterfly and now loves reading as much as writing. His favourite authors are poet O.N.V. Kurup and novelist Benyamin. “He has been an avid reader from childhood. He would read everything that he can lay his hands on,” says Reshmi, who is also the first reader of his poems and the happiest person as his first volume got published by Lipi Books, Kozhikode.
“He joined this school only two months ago and we are proud to have him here,” says school Principal Usha Kumari.
He also loves travelling. “Travels gives us an exposure to new places and culture,” says Medhaj Krishna, nay Ayyappan Adoor, almost speaking in the manner of a grown up.
