WALSALL SCHOOLGIRL, 9, BECOMES PUBLISHED AUTHOR AFTER IMAGINING A KINDER WORLD WHERE NO CHILD GOES HUNGRY
A nine-year-old girl from Walsall has become a published author after writing a touching story imagining a world where no family goes hungry, nobody is homeless and every child has the chance to thrive.
Faith Oluwatamilore Azeez’s story, When I Am Queen, has been professionally published in Our Stories Our World – the UK’s first nationally curated child-led anthology – after being selected alongside just 19 other young writers from across the UK.
Rather than dreaming of castles, crowns and royal palaces, Faith imagines becoming Queen so she can help people who are struggling with some of life’s biggest challenges.
In her story, she dreams of making food free so nobody goes hungry, finding solutions to homelessness, supporting low-income families and creating a happier, fairer world for everyone.
She writes: “It is my dream to make the world a better place.”
Faith said: “I wanted to write about helping people because I don’t like seeing anyone hungry or without somewhere safe to live. I think everyone deserves to be happy and cared for.”
“If we all looked after each other a little bit more, the world would be a much better place.”
Inspired by documentaries and conversations with her family about world events, Faith’s story shows a remarkable level of empathy for someone so young.
Throughout When I Am Queen, she imagines practical ways life could be improved for families—from providing meals for those in need to creating safe spaces for children and helping communities live together peacefully. Her message is ultimately one of hope, compassion and believing that even young people can make a difference.
Faith’s story is one of twenty featured in Our Stories Our World, created by eight-year-old literacy advocate and Guinness World Record holder Jayce Joyce as part of his mission to inspire more children to become readers, writers and leaders. The anthology celebrates children’s voices while exploring important themes including kindness, equality, inclusion, courage and creativity.
The publication comes during the National Year of Reading, as concern continues to grow over children’s declining reading for pleasure and increasing screen time.
Jayce Joyce said: “Faith’s story is incredibly thoughtful. It reminds us that children don’t just dream about what they want for themselves—they often dream about making life better for other people too.”
“This National Year of Reading, we’re encouraging children to swap screen time for story time. Every child has ideas worth sharing, and writing gives them the confidence to express those ideas and inspire others.”
CALLING ALL YOUNG STORYTELLERS
To build on the success of Our Stories Our World, Jayce has launched the Books from Children to Children Summer Writing Competition, inviting children across the UK to write an original story over the school holidays.
Winning entries will be professionally published in next year’s anthology, giving young writers the opportunity to become published authors while inspiring a new generation of readers, writers and future leaders.
Parents, teachers and carers are being encouraged to help children put down their devices, pick up a pen and discover where their imagination can take them this summer.
To find out more about the competition and entry process visit https://jaycesworldoflearning.co.uk/competition/