Nicholas D’Souza ‘13 didn’t always plan on becoming a writer. In fact, perhaps the writing found him.

The call to become a writer came at age 24. At this time, Nick had already graduated from Fordham University, where he was a member of the swim team, and was writing articles for people living in houses with family members dealing with mental illnesses.

To appreciate the call to authorship, one must understand Nick’s faith journey. During his time at Seton Hall Prep, Nick dealt with many trials and tribulations. While going to school every day amid problems at home, he remembered passing the chapel and feeling a calling to Christ, but never really acting on the feelings. When the call came again, Nick made sure not to squander it.

He was never a big reader and had absolutely no idea how to write, or quite frankly, what to write. He knew though that to be a good writer one must be a good reader. He also recalled something a longtime friend once told him: “Write to express thoughts for yourself, not for fame.”

From there, Nick hit the ground running, utilizing every resource he had, from YouTube videos to drawing inspiration from Harry Potter, to publish his first book, The Brain Hut, in late 2020. The Brain Hut is more of a self-help book compared to Nick’s second work, The Death of a Blue Jay, published in March of this year. His newest book is set in a fictional world where the main character must face his inner demons and build virtue to ultimately return to the real world and fulfill a final act of charity.

Death of a Blue Jay has already received international award recognition in the category of Christian Fiction. In Nick’s own words, “In the quiet places of life, you find comfort, but if you handle it poorly, everything can go wrong.”

Through his own personal battles, Nick has beenable to channel his thoughts and feelings and embrace them on paper for the world to read.