Carmel Student Sayeda Afifa Releases Debut Novel
At Carmel College, we firmly believe that creativity knows no academic boundaries.
On August 5, 2026, the Department of English hosted a memorable book release event at the college library to celebrate an exceptional student achievement: the launch of Everything I Thought Was You, a novel authored by student Sayeda Afifa.
Designed to give students a platform to showcase their professional creative work and explore the world of publishing, the event served as a testament to what happens when talent meets institutional support.
From Vision Board to Reality
The gathering was graced by Dr. Aldina Braganza, Officiating Principal, who warmly congratulated Afifa on her remarkable milestone.
Recalling her time teaching Afifa, Dr. Braganza shared how she had early on recognized her natural talent for writing. She revealed a inspiring detail: the idea for the book originally took shape during a college vision-board session, where Afifa explicitly wrote down "Write a book" as one of her major goals. Seeing that vision board item manifest into a published physical copy was a proud moment for the entire campus.
"The Book Wrote Itself"
Though she is officially a Science student, Afifa’s literary passions span multiple languages, writing fluently in Hindi, Urdu, and English.
Reflecting on her creative process, Afifa shared:
"The book wrote itself."
The initial seeds of the novel were planted during the COVID-19 pandemic, a time that allowed her space to dedicate herself fully to her draft. The writing process spanned about a year, culminating in publication with Writer’s Pocket, a publishing house known for empowering young, up-and-coming authors.
During an interactive Q&A session with fellow students and faculty, Afifa discussed navigating the publishing process as a young author and concluded her segment with a poignant reading of her poem on loneliness, offering attendees a glimpse into her poetic range.
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