Nethmi Jayasekera, who has been passionately crafting stories since the age of seven, is an ardent admirer of various authors, including her favourites, Cathy Glass and Roald Dahl.
As a budding writer, she is, therefore, an avid reader which fueled her goal of becoming an author herself and harboured an unwavering passion for storytelling and creative writing from a young age.
Inspired by her elder sister who released a book, Nethmi herself set out on her writing adventure and recently published her very own short story collection titled, “Into the Rainbow’’ at the age of twelve through The Jam Fruit Tree Publications.
This book is a brilliant cumulative of emotional, creative, adventurous and fantastical stories that were all inspired by her own imagination, knowledge, experiences and creativity.
“I get so many ideas when I go to bed. I have a whiteboard nearby and I note down all those ideas on it. Then I would create stories out of them later when I have free time,” Nethmi said while sharing her process of writing.
She mainly chose fantasy and fiction as genres for her first book because in these genres, she has the freedom to create whatever she wants and it also gives her the ability to create happy endings to her stories which is not often seen in non-fiction.
Talented swimmer
Apart from being a young author, Nethmi is also a talented competitive swimmer and loves going to school. Her dedication to her studies and ambitions is refreshing and impressive as she mentioned how her favourite subjects are English, Biology and Mathematics.
She also loves to draw and paint as her pastime and is engrossed in these aesthetic activities as much as she loves writing. Nethmi also hopes to become an architect one day and design her own buildings. Her enthusiastic and innate urge to create is crystal clear and her book is further testimony to her passion.
By publishing her debut book, Nethmi hopes to inspire other budding writers like her to fearlessly start their storytelling journey. Nethmi recounts how her teachers encouraged her and how her family supported her in this endeavour and how much that guided her to build confidence and belief in herself. Writing is her way of fostering and expressing her imagination and she has found great joy in embarking on it.
Next she is hoping to publish a small semi-fiction novel and wants to continue writing for as long as she can.
“Reading more encouraged me to write more,” she said. When reading became enjoyable, Nethmi explained how she yearned to create stories as well. She holds a special place in her heart for two stories in her new book, “Great Mission at Sea” and “Is It Christmas yet?” According to her, tales such as these carry personal significance in her own life.
Early childhood
“Great Mission At Sea”, draws inspiration from Nethmi’s own upbringing in the Caribbean, where she spent her early childhood surrounded by the sea and the beaches. On the other hand, her stories such as, “Is it Christmas yet?” reflects her simple, personal and innocent joys as a young individual such as her love for puppies and her desire to own one someday.
Likewise, many of the short stories found in her collection, “Into the Rainbow” are a delightful blend of her vivid imagination, interesting anecdotes and certain aspects based on her own life. These aspects in her book tend to give her young readers a feeling of authenticity, joy and familiarity through her captivating storytelling prowess.
Nethmi is also the proud owner of the Bronze Award granted by the Queen’s Commonwealth essay competition held in 2022.
Immense potential
Her English writing is fluent, rich, diverse and creative, and foreshadows the quality of writing she might reach as she further improves her writing skills. “Into the Rainbow” is, therefore, representative of the immense potential young writers like her hold.
Nethmi wants her new book to be the stepping stone for many more books to come but also for it to serve as an example that encourages other youngsters to work towards their dreams just like she did.
Given that she has already taken her first step as a published author, Nethmi is now eager to challenge herself. She is eager to expand her scope in writing and continue working on more books that would touch the hearts of many readers to come. “Into the Rainbow” is just the beginning for her.
Nethmi loves sharing her inspiration with other budding writers. “You shouldn’t hesitate to start writing even if you aren’t confident in your abilities,” she said.
“At the beginning, I was hesitant about publishing my book too and struggled to believe in myself. But when you have the passion, support and encouragement, do it! Don’t wait. The right time is always now,” Nethmi said.
