Book by 14-year-old chronicling her lockdown days released

Kolkata, Aug 8

Veteran actor Shabana Azmi has launched the book written by a 14-year-old girl, which chronicles the lockdown days seen through her eyes as the Covid-19 pandemic spreading last year.

The book, “The Year That Wasn’t – The Diary of a 14-Year-Old”, is penned by Kolkata girl Brisha Jain.

It ‘ handholds readers through a journey – the hopeful beginning of a new decade, the confusion triggered by a pandemic, lockdown travails, coping with the whole new world of online schooling, a new digital divide, the vaccine race, the waning of the pandemic’s severity and it’s resurgence.

“When we recognise Brisha’s work, we actually recognise India’s work, because 50 per cent of the Indian population is under the age of 25. Imagine what a huge resource base we have, and if they can become even a quarter of the sensitive and thoughtful that she is, we would change the world,” Azmi said while unveiling the book.

The Padma Bhushan awardee said that unlike most youngsters her age, Brisha has come out of the social media and smartphone obsession.

Talking about her debut work, Brisha said, “I know that my experiences are not comprehensive. But they provide a glimpse of a world in turmoil through the eyes of a young girl, through her curiosities and her sensibilities.”

The book, which was released on Friday evening, features forewords by Director Devi Kar and Principal Damayanti Mukherjee of Modern High School for Girls, Kolkata, where Brisha is a student of class 10. PTI