Meet Michelle Nkamankeng, Africa's youngest author from South Africa
It's no mean feat, the skill of writing, moreso to achieve this at a young age. At seven years old, Michelle Nkamankeng was acknowledged as the youngest writer in Africa, publishing her first book in October 2016 with the title, “Waiting for the Waves, a fifty-page book”.
She earned a slot as one of the top 10 youngest writers in the world.
But it merely started as a passion for reading, she would visit the local bookstore at a young age just to read but she soon realised all her favourite children’s books were written by adults.
Michelle wanted to change that and so soon, she started writing her old books on A4 sheets folded in two.
“I was like, why can’t children also explore and share their own stories with the world, for the world to hear their voices and see their imagination,” Nkamankeng was quoted by Global Citizen. “Through telling your story, you can inspire the world and you can make people realise that they can also do more in the world,” she added.
Her book is one of an 8-book series. She also has a book titled, “The Little Girl Who Believes in Herself” which talks about the potential of every girl to achieve what they want if they put their mind to it.
Now aged 15, Michelle has gone on to achieve a lot since her first publication. She has served as a youth advisory board member on the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund.
She also has in her name, a foundation, the Michelle Nkameng Foundation which was started in November 2016 to empower the less privileged in her country, South Africa.
Michelle also has two books titled, “The Little Mouse” and the “Golden Ring” published to her credit.
Her work is now an inspiration to many young people and upcoming writers all over the world.
