Author, aspiring poet among rankholders

BENGALURU:  Two of the ICSE and ISC rank holders this year are a cut above the rest of their peers. Not only did they excel in academics, but they are also accomplished in their other interests like literature and writing poetry.

Akshaya Sutrave, the second rank holder in the state with 99.6 per cent in the Indian Certificate for Secondary Education (ICSE), is already a published author, having penned three books and a collection of short stories from when she was 15 years old.

“While I am still trying to map out what I want to do, I know that I’d like to pursue a double degree -- majoring in physics with a minor in literature. I’ve always been very interested in reading literature, and so, writing became a hobby. I’m currently working on a young adult series of five books, three of which I’ve already published,” she said.

Akshaya self-published all of her books. “They have been viewed well, but I can definitely do more to market them better. I took a lot of inspiration from my favourite authors -- J K Rowling and Rick Riordan. Apart from that, my interest in physics also came from an interest in learning fun facts. I would constantly read encyclopedias,” she said.

For Indian School Certificate (ISC) first-rank holder Sebanti Hui, poetry is a passion. “I enjoy poetry very much and have written a fair bit, though it is more of a passion project. I enjoy the works of Osamu Dazai, Arthur Miller and D H Lawrence, though my love is more for poetry. I’m a huge fan of Robert Browning,” she said. Sebanti hopes to study English (Honours) and pursue a career as a literature professor.