Shayne2017 at 14:11, 11 November 2025

2025-11-11T14:11:08Z

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{{short description|Indian author, poet and artist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2025}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2025}}
{{Infobox writer
| name = Frederika Menezes
| image = Frederika Menezes, author from Goa, India.jpg
| caption = Menezes in 2018
| birth_date = {{Birth based on age as of date|36|2016|1|26}}
| birth_place = [[Panjim]], [[Goa]], India
| occupation = {{hlist|Author|poet|artist}}
| language = English
| period =
| awards = [[Yuva Srujan Puraskar]] (2016)
| genre =
| subject =
| notable_works = ''Unforgotten'' (2014)
| signature =
| years_active = 1996–present
| website =
}}

'''Frederika Menezes''' (born 1979 or 1980)<ref name=":0" /> is an Indian author, poet, and artist best known for her book ''Unforgotten'', a love story for young adults published in 2014. Her poem ''"The Different Normals"'' has yet to be included in the English textbook of the [[Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education]] (GBSHSE).<ref name=":1">
{{cite news
|url = http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/36081344.cms
|title = Life lessons from a personal story of always seeing the bright side
|work = The Times of India
|date = Jun 5, 2014
|first = Jonathan
|last = Rodrigues
|access-date = 2018-11-21
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181121081505/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Life-lessons-from-a-personal-story-of-always-seeing-the-bright-side/articleshow/36081344.cms
|archive-date = November 21, 2018
|url-status = live
|df = mdy-all
}}
</ref><ref>{{cite news
|url = https://www.heraldgoa.in/Goa/Goa-Board-to-introduce-new-subject-in-psychology/109380.html
|title = Goa Board to introduce new subject in psychology
|work = Herald Goa
|access-date = 2018-11-13
|date = Dec 12, 2016
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181113171800/https://www.heraldgoa.in/Goa/Goa-Board-to-introduce-new-subject-in-psychology/109380.html
|archive-date = 2018-11-13
|url-status = live
}}</ref>

== Early life and education ==
Frederika Menezes was born in either 1979 or 1980, to physicians, Jose Menezes and Angela Fonseca e Menezes and grew up in [[Altinho]], [[Panjim]]. She was diagnosed with [[cerebral palsy]] when she was one year old. She has been a supporter for the cause of the differently-abled.<ref name="Observer2017">{{cite news
|url = https://www.goanobserver.in/2017/04/01/frederika-menezes-shows-way/
|title = Frederika Menezes shows the way!
|work = Goan Observer
|date = Apr 1, 2017
|first = Tara
|last = Narayan
|access-date = 2018-11-13
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181113170216/https://www.goanobserver.in/2017/04/01/frederika-menezes-shows-way/
|archive-date = 2018-11-13
|url-status = live
}}</ref><ref name="GoaStreetsPoetic2018">{{Cite web|url=https://goastreets.com/frederika-menezes-poetic-colours/|title=Frederika Menezes: Poetic Colours |last=Gutkin |first=Steven |date=Dec 17, 2018 |website=GoaStreets.com|access-date=2019-04-29}}</ref> Menezes completed her schooling at People's High School, Panjim in 1996.<ref name=":1" />

== Career ==
Menezes began writing poetry when she was encouraged by her teacher to do a class project, and it was at that point that she discovered her passion for writing poems.<ref>
{{Cite news|url=http://www.navhindtimes.in/special-educators-the-lifeline-of-resource-rooms-and-special-schools/
|title=Special educators – the lifeline of resource rooms and special schools.
|last=
|first=
|date= Feb 26, 2016
|work=[[The Navhind Times]], Kurio City
|access-date= Nov 22, 2018
}}</ref>

Menezes's other literary works include ''The Portrait'' (a collection of poems, published in 1998), ''The Pepperns and Wars of the Mind'' (a fantasy novel, published in 2003) and ''Stories in Rhyme'' (which was a book of verse for children, released in 2014).<ref name="Observer2017"/> She is also a budding artist. She does her paintings digitally (on a tablet, smartphone or PC), using only one finger.<ref name="Triumphs2018" /> Some of her paintings include ''The Grieving Madonna'', ''Tourada'', ''Mother Sea'' and ''First Kiss''.<ref name="GoaStreetsPoetic2018" />

== Awards and recognition ==
Menezes was awarded the [[Yuva Srujan Puraskar]] Award in Literature in 2016.<ref name="Triumphs2018">{{cite web
|url = http://goastreets.com/the-triumphs-of-frederika-menezes/
|title = The Triumphs of Frederika Menezes
|work = Goa Streets
|date = Oct 19, 2018
|first = Steven
|last = Gutkin
|access-date = 2018-11-13
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181113170317/http://goastreets.com/the-triumphs-of-frederika-menezes/
|archive-date = 2018-11-13
|url-status = live
}}</ref> Her first book received praise from the late [[Dr. Abdul Kalam]], the then [[President of India]]. She was also given the opportunity to recite from her book of poems in the [[Goa Legislative Assembly]], in front of him.<ref name=":0">{{cite news
|url = http://goastreets.com/frederika-menezes/
|title = Frederika Menezes - Triumph of A Literary Spirit
|work = Goa Streets
|date = Jan 28, 2016
|first = Charlane
|last = Pereira e Rebello
|access-date = 2018-11-13
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181113170324/http://goastreets.com/frederika-menezes/
|archive-date = 2018-11-13
|url-status = live
}}</ref> In 2019, Samraat Club, Panjim, felicitated her at her home on the occasion of International Women's Day.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://englishnews.thegoan.net/story.php?id=49946|title=Frederika Menezes felicitated at her home in unique initiative|website=The Goan|date=Mar 13, 2019|access-date=2019-04-29}}</ref>

Also in 2019, Menezes was invited as a Chief Guest for an art exhibition of the Mouth and Foot Painting Artists Association (MFPA),<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.navhindtimes.in/art-with-a-difference/|title=Art with a difference |work=The Navhind Times |date=Feb 22, 2019 |language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-29}}</ref> was chosen by the [[Election Commission of India]] to be the "disability voting icon" for [[North Goa district]] during the [[2019 Indian general election]]<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/elections/lok-sabha-2019/dedicated-facilities-for-persons-with-disabilities-in-goa-draws-more-voters/article26923053.ece|title=Goa: Dedicated facilities for persons with disabilities draws more voters|last=Kamat|first=Prakash|date=Apr 23, 2019|work=The Hindu|access-date=2019-04-29|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> and spoke at TEDxPanaji<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/tedx-panaji-2019-to-unveil-unique-goan-ideas-119041700658_1.html|title=TEDx Panaji 2019 to unveil unique Goan ideas|date=2019-04-17|work=Business Standard India|access-date=2019-04-29}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ted.com/tedx/events/31985|title=TEDxPanaji {{!}} TED|website=www.ted.com|access-date=2019-12-30}}</ref> on optimism, positivity and determination.

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Menezes, Frederika}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Women writers from Goa]]
[[Category:Poets from Goa]]
[[Category:People from North Goa district]]
[[Category:Indian poets]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]

Frederika Menezes - Revision history

Shayne2017 at 14:11, 11 November 2025