CHENNAI: A mid the bleak and uninspiring times of a pandemic, a 13-year-old Chennaiite set out to seek motivational stories that would bring the youth of our nation the silver lining they needed. Hasini Lakshmi Narayanan began the process of her book The First Step in 2020, when she spoke to about 100 young achievers in the course of a year and a half. Of these, she chose 25, whose short but rich journeys would lead the youth of a nation to a better tomorrow.
On Friday, in the presence of several dignitaries — Ma Subramanian, Minister for Health and Family Welfare of Tamil Nadu; Sivarajah Ramanathan, CEO of TANSIM; CK Kumaravel, CEO and co-founder of Naturals Salon & Spa; and Sujith Kumar, founder of Maatram Foundation — the book hit the shelves of the Chennai Book Fair 2022. “For a young girl, finding 25 people and writing about, their hopes and dreams, likes and dislikes and condensing into a book is no mean feat. Even as a young journalist, she is doing her bit for society. I am proud to be a part of this launch and this will be a memorable experience,” said Ma Subramanian.
Quite the young achiever herself, Hasini believes in the power of manifesting one’s hidden talents and hopes that her book can help someone do the same. “I want to dedicate this book to all the youth out there looking for motivation and positivity. If something was possible for others, it could be possible for me too. If people of my age can reach such great heights, why not me?,” questions the author, who also has a blog that shares the book’s name where she discusses more such achievers.
From as young as children of five years (such as P Sanjana, archer and Guinness World Record holder) to teenagers (like K Jayalakshmi, who won a trip to NASA in a contest), every age group finds its space in the book. The diversity in age is also complemented with an array of walks of life. Whether you’re seeking a baker, an entrepreneur, an actor, an author, or athletes, tech whizzes and robotic experts, you will find someone representing your interests in the exhaustive list. “I don’t mind what field they are into, as long as they have achieved something huge and have an inspirational personality. A personal reality is that these children have helped me realise what I am capable of and inspired me to be an author, a TEDx speaker, a young nutrition ambassador for the TN government,” she informs. While the work began only six months ago, the author was in high spirits as the publishers showed interest in the project after reviewing only a chapter or two.
Apart from the kind words shared by the speakers at the launch, Hasini also received a magnanimous honour through the foreword of her book, provided by M Venkaiah Naidu, the Vice President of India, and C Sylendra Babu, DGP and head of police, Tamil Nadu. As are the recommendations for fictional works, the foreword plays a vital role in the success of a non-fictional book, Hasini admits. “Getting the foreword from the Vice President is a long procedure. They have to read and do final checks for controversies. This process takes at least a week but they were very helpful and we managed to get it in one day. And Sylendra sir spent 20 minutes writing it in front of us even through his busy day,” she notes, thanking the contributors for their kind words. With one book to her name, what is next on the young author’s agenda? We are waiting with anticipation.