Teen Kashmiri writer creates kingdom of dreams in her debut book

A 13-year-old girl from militancy-infested Tral area of Kashmir has a book to her name, a debut novel about a fantasy land -- the kingdom of dreams -- where humans have been replaced by cats.

Touyiba binti Javaid's debut novel 'Luna Spark and the Future Telling Clock' has been published by the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Arts, Culture and Languages (JKAACL) and the young writer is on cloud nine.

"The cultural academy has published the book. It is a moment of pride and happiness for me that my debut novel has been published. Some times it is hard to believe, given the media attention my book has received," Touyiba, a Class 7 student at Srinagar's DPS Athwajan school, said.

The teen writer said she has been an avid reader of children's books since she was in Class 3.

"I was very passionate about reading. I improved my reading skills over time and later on I also started to write," she said.

Talking about her novel, Touyiba said "Luna Spark..." is a fictional work meant for children.

"The humans have been replaced by cats. It is a world of cats in which I am also a cat. My name is Luna Spark and I, along with my friends, have an exciting adventure in a fantasy land called the Kingdom of dreams," she said.

Luna Spark and her friends are supposed to look for a stolen magical clock which can foresee the future.

"The clock is called the future telling clock. This book is about who stole the clock, why it was stolen and how we find it again," Touyiba said.

She said her teachers and parents offered her a helping hand but she refused it as "I did not want to take credit for anything that was not mine. I wanted it to be my own".

Touyiba asks aspiring writers to not bother what people say.

"Don't bother about how others will react. Just look at your future and make your parents proud," she added.

Touyiba's father, Dr Javaid Ahmad -- a dental surgeon -- is an elated man.

"The fact that my daughter has written the book is a moment of pride for me.

"She had this flair for writing since the age of 10. She started writing poems and stories, which I would show to my friends... They used to be impressed," he said.