Ten-year-old Hephzibah Akinwale has been awarded the longest fiction novel written by a child, based on her novel tiled, Chronicles of the Time Keepers: Whisked Away — totalling 58,000 words.
The novel beat the previous record of 44,000 words held by Manikya Sanghi, a 11-year-old former Guinness World Record Holder, a National Record Holder, and Multiple Award Winning Author of fiction novel titled ‘Wizard of Sansanadia’ from the series ‘Chronicles of Tierra’.
Hephzibah’s novel is an engaging middle-grade fiction adventure, where she is the protagonist, experiencing a series of mysterious and vivid dreams that blur the line between reality and fantasy. Critics say the story’s appeal lies in its ability to resonate with young audiences while also captivating older readers with its depth and creativity.
In the wake of her achievement, Hephzibah has expressed a desire to continue writing, with plans to expand the ‘Chronicles of the Time Keepers‘ series.
This is how the child prodigy introduced herself on her website: I’m Hephzibah Theodora Anuoluwa Chiamaka Shekinah Deborah Akinwale. Yes, you read that right! All those names are mine, thanks to my parent’s and my grandparent’s love for… well, names!
I’m a 11-year-old who kicked off this writing journey when I was just 8, on the 2nd of December 2021. Mum nudged me and said, ‘Hey, you could totally make this into a book!’
Guess what? I did. So I guess Mum does know best.
My fun-filled house is shared with my parents and my two theatrical sisters – Beulah, the 9-year-old Drama Queen, and Sovereign, the 7-year-old Boss Queen. Oh, the stories I could tell about them!
Life for me is one big adventure, whether I’m splitting in gymnastics, splashing around in swimming class, singing at the top of my lungs, dancing like nobody’s watching, playing different roles in acting, running like the wind, trapping my sisters in chess, or getting lost in a world of sketching. Oh, and did I mention I write too? I guess you could say I’m a girl of many passions.
Born in Cambridge, England, United Kingdom on the very first day of the year (I guess I couldn’t wait to start living), I’ve grown up embracing my God-given talents. I even share some of my funny moments on my YouTube channel @AkinwaleSisters.
