Spotlight           

Shefali Arora: Daring to Dream and Travel

on

 



Promoting literature and reading is an act of nation building. Author Shefali Arora is someone who actively intervenes and inspires the young generation to read. In this feature, let’s learn more about author Shefali Arora. 


Shefali Arora is an engineer by profession and an author by passion. Her latest work is a non-fiction piece titled 'Dare.Dream.Travel', an anthology of real-life stories of solo women travellers,which was endorsed by THE CEO Magazine and launched by the literary club of IIT Mandi.  


Her debut work in fiction 'The Infinite Road' won her several accolades such as 'Best Debutante Fiction of The Year' and 'Most Promising Author of The Year'. It was also featured among the best books to read by Outlook India.  


She also wrote a poetry book comprising haiku and senyrus, titled 'A Paradise of Thoughts'. She has also been listed among celebrated women authors by The Financial Express. She has been invited as a guest speaker by various colleges such as Amity, JECREC and Narsee Munjee.

✒Special Correspondent

Comments

Post a Comment

Share your response



This Month's Top Stories

Image

Beneath the Soaring Canopy by Angel Mary | A Poem

The nature holds us close, like a mother's embrace, As though cocooned in the warmth of its serene arms, Nurturing us with the tenderness, Surrounded by green, we feel revitalized, A space that offers healing to a distressed mind, The zone we delve into the deepest, A spectrum of elegance wrapped in a circle, Relishing every miracle, unveiling that it belongs to us… Angel Mary born in Kasaragod,is an Assistant Professor of English and a dedicated poet with a deep passion for capturing the beauty of nature and the power of hope through her words. Her poetry reflects a profound connection to the natural world, often exploring themes of renewal, resilience, hope and the quiet strength found in everyday moments. Through her work, Angel strives to inspire readers to find light and hope, even in the darkest of times.
Image

A Scholar's Odyssey: Neha Kumari's Evolution into an IAS Officer | Interview by Ankush Bharti

  Neha Kumari is a dynamic and accomplished individual who has excelled in multiple domains, from academia to public service. Holding a strong academic background with a Master of Arts in English Literature from Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Neha further pursued her scholarly pursuits by completing a PhD from BHU, specialising in British and Commonwealth literature. Her dedication to academic excellence is underscored by her achievements, including clearing the National Eligibility Test (NET) with Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and qualifying the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) in 2021.  Notably, Neha's intellectual curiosity extends beyond the realms of literature, as evidenced by her success in the competitive arena of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), where she attained Grade A in 2022. However, her journey doesn't end there. In 2023, Neha achieved a remarkable milestone by securing a coveted position in the Indian Administrative Service (I...
Image

New Dawn, New Blooms by Angel Mary | A Poem

A sudden gleam appeared, as I wandered in vain, Feeling like solitude, a cool breeze stirred in the quiet air, As the tides rise and fall, I endure like a beacon of light, Trapped in silence, the bird longs for the sky, I yearn to fly, Each bud that blooms whispers a promise, a hope reborn in every petal's grace, As the night grows deeper, moon beams brightly with a gentle smile, With every step I take, I carry the spirit of resilience… Angel Mary born in Kasaragod, Kerala is a dedicated poet with a deep passion for capturing the beauty of nature and the power of hope through her words. Her poetry reflects a profound connection to the natural world, often exploring themes of renewal, resilience, and the quiet strength found in everyday moments. Through her work, Angel strives to inspire readers to find light and hope, even in the darkest of times.
Image

Finding Beauty in Resilience: Sommya Jain's Story of Success | Ankush Bharti

by Ankush Bharti  In this exclusive interview, we delve into the remarkable journey of Sommya Jain, from being diagnosed with Haemangioma at a young age to overcoming countless obstacles and emerging as a successful social media influencer and dancer. Sommya shares her experiences, challenges, and triumphs, offering insights into her resilience, passion for dance, and commitment to inspiring others through her story. Join us as we explore the incredible transformation and unwavering spirit of this extraordinary individual. Can you share with us your journey from being diagnosed with Haemangioma to becoming a successful social media influencer and dancer? Well, to know the entire story, you need to read my autobiography book, which I am going to launch soon but to give you details in short:- I was just nine years old when I was diagnosed with a large Haemangioma on my right cheek, I was about to take part in the very famous show of the time named Boogie Boogie as I was born dan...
Image

Hope is not a Losing Game by Amaan Khan | An essay

"Hope is not a losing game'' Amaan Khan Yesterday, I visited a stationary shop from where I used to get my school supplies often when I was in school. To put it in perspective, I went back there after six years to get a pack of ruled sheets for my little brother. I felt a strange sense of familiarity, Even though the shop's interior had been changed, I remembered how my eyes used to wander, scanning the whole shop, yearning for new pens, supplies, and other stuff that could be afforded with a note of fifty rupees or less because that was my financial ceiling. I would wait for opportunities to just get there, now looking back I realize, how my delight drive would have been fulfilled with a mere purchase of my cherished blue gel pen. The stationary part of my life is just one bit, there are several other pockets, which I filled back then with my curiosity, another memory I recall, the time when I saw an advertisement for martial arts classes which was somewhere in my loc...
Image

Longing by Siljiya Francis | A Poem

With the darkened depths and wide sea She keeps her heart with spirit of light Through the shadowed trees and cloudy sky She still keeps her luminescence When the world described her as SHE A flame of fire flickered in her She named it as HOPE Which enabled her wings to fly high.... She is a holder of Degree and Masters in English Language and Literature. She loves to write poetry.
Image

Art of Teaching: A Hope to Hear the Youth Communicate | Ashima Syal

Teaching is an Art, and to keep the artistry alive is the challenge which the current educational scenario brings. With the advent of AI and other technological hacks, knowledge seems to pronounce itself with the ease of availability and accessibility. This resorting to the quick arena of the internet, is what is keeping the GENZ’s of today away from using their creativity, their minds potential to the fullest. The teachers of today no longer embrace chalk and duster, they make use of white digitized boards. With a nominal attention span of students, activity-based learning is the requirement of skill-based teaching. The size of a class being of a giant eighty and with youth, which is only distracted, teachers find it the most challenging when they give an experiential classroom task to students, to gauge their learning, the students struggle hard to complete it, they find it challenging to put their own perspective in front, they at once become restless and resort to AI for answers. W...
Image

Blue by Siljiya Francis | A Poem

Gliding through the whispers of the wind and wrestling with weather extremes beneath the shadowy canopy she stumbled upon a hidden gem. A soft glow of belonging enveloped her heart as she enveloped it, she breathed a single word :Blue For a whispered promise of time, it was hers to hold.. As she winged with happiness, whispers of Blue slipped her mind. The melody of her life skipped a beat she yearned for Blue . She scanned over the whispers of trees and lappy waves, the river's breeze carried echo's from the past, she stumbled upon Blue on a river bank....yet, it was altered. She bathed it in the river's golden light, the same whispered promise echoed in her. Yet, with the sense of rising tides a gentle breeze of feeling nestled in her Blue... where she found her missing pieces She is a holder of Degree and Masters in English Language and Literature. She loves to write poetry.
Image

Silent Reverie by Dr Nina Apra | A Poem

In the hush of twilight’s golden hue, lie whispers of words I never knew. Laughter unsung, tears unseen, stories lost in the space between. A hand half-raised, a glance held back, a love unspoken in the silent track. Smiles that trembled, afraid to stay, like fireflies lost in the break of day. The letters I wrote but never sent, folded in corners where memories went. Promises drowned in the weight of pride, hearts that knocked but stayed outside. In the hush of the quiet night, echoes of the unsaid burn so bright. For what was silent was never gone, it hums in the heart, it lingers on. It lingers on in the winds that sigh, in tear-streaked moons and a wistful sky. In the rustle of leaves, in the hush of rain, in melodies born from unshed pain. It hums in footsteps left behind, in empty rooms, in echoes blind. A touch imagined, a name half-spoke, a thread unbroken, yet never woke. The silence sings its part, a hidden verse in a weary heart. For though the words were left untold, their ...
Image

The Holistic Pine Now Read in 30 Countries — Independent Media with a Global Soul

April 2025 — The Holistic Pine , an international independent lifestyle journal, is making waves around the world. With readers tuning in from 30 countries, the journal is proving that meaningful, mindful content knows no borders. Fresh data from Google Search shows a strong global footprint. While India leads with over 500 impressions in March alone, the journal is also drawing interest from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and the Philippines. Readers from Malaysia, Canada, France, Germany, Nepal, Bangladesh, and several others are joining in, bringing The Holistic Pine’s words to screens across Europe, Asia, the Americas, and beyond. This expanding readership is a testament to the journal’s mission: to offer thoughtful, independent perspectives on holistic living, creative culture, and conscious storytelling. Whether through essays, interviews, or literary features, The Holistic Pine has become a quiet but steady voice for those seeking substance over noise in toda...