Young Voices

A primary focus at Author In Me since its inception is to empower children by transforming their ideas into picture books. Over time, our vision has expanded to include a flagship mentorship program for young aspiring writers aged 8-15, led by accomplished children's authors. As we delved into the stories created during these sessions, a profound realisation emerged – each idea germinating in a child's mind served as a unique window into their perspective on the world.

The characters they brought to life in their narratives embodied these young minds' strengths and vulnerabilities. The challenges depicted in their stories often revealed suppressed fears or thoughts stemming from limited beliefs shaped by experiences of prejudice based on factors like colour, race, or culture. Sometimes, the challenges portrayed delved into subconscious fears and emotional complexities arising from everyday relationship dynamics and the overwhelming influx of information.

Recognising the profound impact of children reading stories crafted by their peers, we observed a heightened connection to the plots and resonance with the essence of the narratives. When children read stories written by their peers, it transformed reading from a mere activity into a deeply engaging and enjoyable exercise.

The challenges presented in the books and the uncomplicated solutions resonated deeply with children, making the stories effective conversation starters on intricate subjects such as friendship, climate change, grief, positive values, tolerance, self-belief, fears, illness, bullying, and more. Inspired by this insight, we launched our imprint 'Young Voices’ in 2019.