Poet, author, and screenwriter, Ms. Rochelle Potkar found the time, amid her whirlwind book tour of Goa, to step in to Carmel College on 19 September 2025. She addressed the BA (Hons.) students of Creative Writing along with HSS and PG students on the topic, ‘How to Write a Novel.’ She drew from the experiences of her recently-published novel The D’Costa Family.The event was organized by the Department of English of Carmel College in collaboration with the Reader’s Mind book club of Carmel College and was held in the library. Principal Dr. Aldina Braganza e Gomes spoke on how reading a book transports you to another world. Joselyn Thayil, compere, introduced Rochelle Potkar. Convenor Dr. Brian Mendonca of the Department of English said he was impressed by how versatile Ms. Potkar is, and how she is always ready to help writers on their creative journey. He recalled her earlier visit to the college in 2017 to teach students to write haibun. Dr. Glenis Mendonca, Head, Department of English, welcomed Ms. Potkar and requested her to release the The Penguin Book of Poems on the Indian City (2025) in which the poems of Rochelle and Dr. Brian feature. Dwelling on the creative process of imagining a novel, Ms. Potkar elaborated on the Hero’s journey; the virtues of vulnerability; character depiction; and setting. She kept the students engaged with short writing tasks like, ‘Imagine a character. Write 5 lines on him/her.’ Ms. Yuga Adarkar, librarian, proposed the vote of thanks and outlined the activities of the Book club. The vibrant session ended with Rochelle Potkar reading her poem ‘Gathering.’ She was delighted to then sign copies of her book for those who bought them, and posing for photos with the students. Elisha and her media team were always hovering by to capture the moments on their cameras.