Meet Sochumlo Suki Ezung, Nagaland’s youngest author
By Ibankyntiew Mawrie | June 11, 2019:
No boundary is too big
No boundary ls too small
Work your way in succeeding your dreams ~~
Sochumlo Suki Ezung
They say imagination is a powerful force, capable enough to create a whole new dimension of time, space and matter; And most of the time, these imaginations are brought to life in the form of a book or a movie.
Walking down the same path as many fiction writers, a 12-yr-old girl from Nagaland, Sochumlo Suki Ezung, managed to grab on to that force at a very early age.
In an exclusive interview with TNT-The Northeast Today, Ezung explained how a fragment of one's imagination can help create something rare, unique and extra ordinary.
The 12-yr-old literary prodigy penned down her first book – Suki's Magic Box in the year 2017 when she was only 10 years old and her second book – Suki's Spacecraft was published in the month of April this year. The books were published by Kohima-based PenThrill Publication House.
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TNT: Where did you draw your inspiration?
Suki: I draw my inspiration from the simple and ordinary things around me. Also, the little incidents that happened to me inspired me to pick up my pen and write away with my imaginations.
TNT: What prompted you to pen down your own book, tell us little bit about your first book?
Suki: My first book is a collection of stories with a moral behind them. It gives a sneak- peek into the mind of a young girl. It is about friendship, family, respect and more. I have to say that when I was writing those stories, the idea to turn it into a book was not there at all. I simply wrote because I was inspired and I enjoyed writing. The idea of making it into a book came much later.
TNT: How did your second book come about?
Suki: I was sitting in class one day when I saw a bunch of clouds huddled together and this inspired me to write my second book. This book is about 6 girls who, through their strength and talents, transformed a school into a spacecraft and saved the lives of the students and teachers in the school. There's time travel involved and Albert Einstein is also one of the characters. It is about being bold and making the impossible possible through belief and hard work.
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TNT: When did this habit of writing and reading develop?
Suki: I had difficulties in picking up reading when I was in kindergarden. In class 2, I started practicing and practicing and finally, I caught up reading with my peers. When in class 3, I simply began to write down all the stories and imaginations that popped into my mind. They were mostly letters to God in the form of songs and stories. And it went on till class 4, till I found out that reading and writing had become my hobby.
TNT: Will your family support your decision to take up writing as professional career, if that is your ambition.
Suki: Yes, they will. They have been very supportive. They would encourage me and ask me to read out my stories. They make me believe that I have a special talent. And we would also play storytelling game at home.
TNT: How do you feel about being called the youngest author of Nagaland?
Suki: To be really honest I have to repeat, it's nothing extraordinary. I still have a long way to go. I think its better this way because being proud will always lead to ugly situations.
TNT: Are we looking at publishing another book in the near future?
Suki: Yes, I am working on a new book. I can't tell you anything because it's yet to be confirmed.
TNT: What are the areas that you like to cover? Nature, fiction, non fiction, social or education?
Suki: I would like to cover fiction as of now. Imagination is a powerful tool. By the use of imagination in non-fiction writing, we can take up causes such as conservation of earth, ignite hope in the minds of the readers, address issues such as bullying.
TNT: Being a source of inspiration for thousand other young students in Nagaland and northeast is not a light task. Where do you draw your strengths?
Suki: I draw my strengths from my friends and family who support me.
TNT: Do you have any message for our young students and upcoming writers?
Suki: No boundary is too big; No boundary ls too small; Work your way in succeeding your dreams.
