(August 19, 2023) What were you up to when you were just a sprightly 12-year-old? Chances are, your greatest accomplishment might have been mastering that perplexing Rubik’s Cube or perhaps navigating the treacherous realm of pre-algebra. But, Canada-based author Shreya Gupta is different. This 12-year-old dynamo isn’t just diving into the realms of adventure between school bells; she’s crafting her chapter of inspiration, compassion, and change.
A burgeoning author, Shreya’s words have not only penned stories but have etched a tale of benevolence. The recent winner of the prestigious Diana Award, the author raised over CAD 12,000 through the sale of her books and donated the amount to a charity supporting girls’ education in India. She also gave about CAD 1,000 for Kids Help Phone in Canada. The young Canadian has worked hard on driving an anti-bullying campaign at her school and is also involved in events like the TCCSA RBC Future Launch. “It’s amazing to see kids being inspired by my book,” the Global Indian said in an interview while talking about her charity through books sale, adding, “I want all of my future books to raise awareness about bullying because it’s such an imperative message. I hope to inspire my readers and help them learn to cope with bullying and gain self-confidence.”
Inspired by India
Born in Cambridge, Canada to Indian immigrants, Dr. Sunjay and Sonia Gupta, Shreya has always loved reading the book. The author, who is passionate about making education accessible to young girls in developing nations, Shreya is also one of the toppers of her class at the Grand View Public School. “My goal is to inspire young girls around the world to always chase their dreams, no matter what. Unfortunately, I have been bullied myself. This is a big reason why I wanted to spread awareness about the issue. In my spare time, I enjoy sketching, reading, and writing stories,” shared the author, who also won the Mom’s Choice Award for her first book.
Her book, Flamingo Feet, is about a young girl named Aria, who has always dreamed of being a jazz dancer. When some kids bully her and call her “flamingo feet”, Aria drops out of the dance competition. “I take jazz dancing lessons which inspired me to write Flamingo Feet. I wrote it to help kids stand up to bullying and learn how to stay confident in themselves no matter what,” the author expressed.
The author went on to write another book, called The Flip Side. “I wanted to write about another issue that has been affecting youngsters. So, this book is about a young girl, called Autumn, who has just recently moved to Toronto and started at a new school. She has always loved creating animations about her pet hamster named Nibbles. When Autumn gets cyberbullied for her animations online, she gets very hurt and discouraged. The story is about how this young girl fights the odds to shape her dream,” she said.
The little philanthropist
While writing a book was born out of her passion, what could have inspired a young 10-year-old to do charity by selling her books? Well, the answer is a ‘trip to India’. “While I was in India there were a lot of kids who were coming up to me selling pens for money so they could get food. This made me very sad that many kids did not have access to basic needs like food and clothing. I wanted to do something to help out. My grandfather runs a charity that helps girls access education in developing countries like India. I decided this was a great opportunity to get involved with the charity and write a book to raise money for it,” shared the author.
Shreya with her family
Currently working on her other book, Shreya is very happy with the success of her books. “Both children and adults love my book. I feel so honoured. I wasn’t so sure that I would earn anything from them, but when I started getting the cheques, I decided that I would rather donate the earnings towards a charity called Positive and Progressive Educational Support Canada. The charity helps girls in India access education, food, and other resources that they wouldn’t normally have access to,” the author said, who is also inspiring her friends to start writing short stories.
