Young learner from Curro Academy Pretoria publishes book and uses proceeds to support local children’s home

23 August 2021

Published author Samhridhy Gohain is no ordinary writer – she is just 10 years old and is a learner at Curro Academy Pretoria. Her first book “3 Epic Adventures” is now available for purchase on Amazon or in hard copy on request. It is a collection of short stories, including “Jupiter The Space Frog”, “Adventures of Blisa The Kitten” and “Are Aliens Real?”

Beautifully written and creatively executed, Samhridhy’s debut book combines her love of animals and passion for space. She writes with heart and a voice beyond her years that parents everywhere will enjoy sharing with their children, or even reading themselves.

Inspiration for the young author – who started writing at just 7 years old - is two-fold: her Principal Scientist father and her Grade 3 teacher at Curro Academy Pretoria, Mary Brümmer. Both played an integral role in encouraging Samhridhy to write. Her father, Dr Mukat Gohain, was a keen writer as a child too and has passed his passion onto his daughter, encouraging her creativity and imagination. As her teacher, Brümmer realised Samhridhy’s potential as a creative writer early on as she was highly skilled in writing short stories herself.  Brümmer’s own love of frogs provided the inspiration for Samhridhy’s first story, “Jupiter The Space Frog”, this as the classroom was painted lime green and was covered in frogs.

Brümmer says of her time teaching Samhridhy, “I tried to encourage her to never stop writing and she didn’t. She is truly an amazing little girl. She has a fantastic sense of picking up the small things that you say and remembering it. For instance, I told her that my mother loved her stories and that her name is Lily and Lily is now part of the “Jupiter the Space Frog” story too.”

Samhridhy’s love of space also plays a key role in her work. Her parents bought her a telescope early on so that she could watch the stars and planets, which fascinate her. It’s also why Jupiter is no ordinary frog, but from space.

“3 Epic Adventures” took around four months to complete. Samhridhy is currently working on two new books, one of which is “Jupiter the Space Frog Part Two”. The other, “Mysterious World” is already 92 pages long and is a work in progress.

It’s not only Samhridhy’s writing talent that is so extraordinary, but also her big heart; proceeds from the sale of her first book are being donated to Jakaranda Children’s Home in Pretoria, East Lynne.

Sangeeta Gohain, Samhridhy’s mother says, “She is a very kind person and loves to help people and animals. It is why she insisted on donating funds to the Children’s Home, she wants to make a difference.”

Mr Vivian Venter, Curro Academy Pretoria’s Head of Primary School says, “We are so proud of Samhridhy and all she has accomplished at such a young age. Her writing is inspiring and her love of animals and space very apparent. She has combined these two passions beautifully in her debut short story collection. She is a bright child who we are delighted to have on campus at Curro Academy Pretoria and we are excited to see her grow as an author.”