Thrissur girl’s story finds place in school textbook at just seven

THRISSUR: While most children read stories by others, seven-year-old May Sithara, a class three student from Kodakara Government LP School, is studying one she wrote herself. Her short story Poombattumma has been included in the Malayalam textbook, a rare feat achieved last academic year when she was just in class two.

Lovingly called Suttu, May began her storytelling journey during the COVID-19 lockdown, spending creative hours at home with her mother. Her debut collection, Suttu Paranja Kathakal (Stories Told by Suttu), features 25 stories she narrated and her mother wrote down. Her inclusion in the syllabus has brought local fame and made her a star among peers and villagers.

Daughter of Kerala State Film Award-winning sound designer Ajayan Adat and researcher Parvathy, May continues to write stories and poems, and is equally passionate about dance. “I want to write many books and win awards,” she says, but adds with confidence, “I’d love to work in advertising and creative arts too.”

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