The popular content creator advised youth to watch out for toxic relationships
and book heroes at the 44th Sharjah International Book Fair

Sharjah, November 8, 2025 

Relationships in novels, often presented as an idealised form of connection and emotional expression should be understood within its literary context and not projected onto real life, noted author, actor and YouTuber Prajakta Koli at the 44th Sharjah International Book Fair that is underway at Expo Centre Sharjah.

Koli, whose debut novel Too Good To Be True is being showcased at SIBF 2025, asked the largely Gen Z audience to beware of relationships that hinder your progress. Regarding the hero in her novel Aman, she said: “You have to have more dimensions. Aman doesn’t have that. Characters in books is not a parameter you should aspire for.” Unlike the hero who is presented as rich, successful and caring, the heroine is seen as flawed and vulnerable.

The young creator said she took inspiration from her own personality while keeping the story fictional. “I’m a shy writer and I hold certain moments in relationships so close to myself that I am too shy to share it.” If made into a movie, she sportingly said she would like to play the heroine Avni.

The Covid years had given her enough time to dabble with long-form writing. She referred to the support she received from her editor who helped her simplify complex sentences and maintain perspective. The strong support system from family and friends had also helped her in the writing process.

Koli, who has over 17 million followers across social media platforms, is known for her lead role in Netflix India’s Mismatched and the upcoming Amazon Prime series, Andhera.

Sharjah International Book Fair 2025 is a 12-day event, organised by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) under the theme ‘Between You and a Book’. Visitors will get the opportunity to experience more than 300 cultural events led by 158 Arab and international guests, 750+ workshops in Arabic and English covering writing, editing, publishing, and creativity and 85 stage performances from 12 countries.

-ENDS-