During the Covid-19 pandemic, school closures left many parents grappling with how to limit their children’s screen time. Shankar G, co-founder of Learner Circle, saw this as a chance to ignite creativity in young minds, encouraging them to author their own books.
By creating an edtech platform focused on extracurricular activities, Shankar began guiding his kids in story writing at home during lockdown. “They had exhausted their reading material, and I wanted to steer them away from extended gadget use,” he explained. “That’s when I initiated creative writing lessons and discovered that parents everywhere shared this dilemma.”
To make screen time productive, Shankar launched Learners Circle, offering 15 diverse extracurricular courses, including coding, public speaking, and art. However, their creative writing course has gained the most traction, leading to over 400 young authors under 18 publishing their first works.
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At this year’s Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF), 45 young writers, aged 7 to 18, are presenting their published pieces, ranging from poetry to fantasy novels, all under the Learners Circle brand. The platform showcases 90 titles at the event.
“Our youngest author is just seven,” Shankar noted. “Many of our budding authors are UAE-based, crafting short stories, poems, and even full novels. One 12-year-old penned a tale about a journalist unraveling a pandemic-like mystery with ancient Egyptian clues and is already crafting a sequel.”
The creative writing program aims to enhance storytelling skills and boost confidence in children. “We teach them to avoid grammatical mistakes, develop characters, and structure narratives,” Shankar explained. “Our team also supports with editing, illustrations, and publishing, enabling every child to see their dream book materialize.”
The courses are available as a concise five-day workshop or an in-depth three-month program for those eager to explore further. Each participant is guided from brainstorming to writing drafts and designing cover art. “Our team manages pages and covers, but kids contribute ideas for illustrations based on their stories,” Shankar shared.
Last April, Shankar hosted the first publishing event, where 42 children from the UAE released their books. Since then, the platform has grown rapidly, sparking creativity and storytelling in students throughout the nation.
“Writing empowers children with ownership and pride. Holding their book for the first time is transformative, showing them they can create something enduring,” Shankar expressed.
What began as a simple home project during the pandemic has evolved into a literary movement, fostering the next generation of authors and thinkers.
“Every child has a story to tell. We just help them find it,” Shankar stated.
