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Maryann Emike Alegieuno: Seven-year-old author

By Omiko Awa
14 July 2019   |   4:10 am
Little Maryann Emike Alegieuno has done something good at her age. The seven-year-old is leaving a lasting legacy and passing on moral lessons...

Little Maryann Emike Alegieuno has done something good at her age. The seven-year-old is leaving a lasting legacy and passing on moral lessons, as she thrill readers with fantastic picture books she has written.

Maryann loves writing, and regardless her age and the hurdles she had to overcome, she has succeeded in putting down her life experiences in print for readers, including those not within her age bracket.

On the significance of her books, the Basic III pupil of Primecare Schools, Abuja, said: “My books are relevant to society and children, as they enable children and teens to learn moral lessons for their everyday life.”

Currently, the kid author has written three books — The Teensy Weensy Lizard, which is about being true to oneself; I Can Fly, which deals with taking bold steps in life; and Beautiful, which is about making right choices in life. The books are available on Amazon and can also be obtained on special request.

With these books, one expects Maryann to relax and start reaping from her sweat, but the young author said she looks forward to writing 18 bestselling books before she turns 18.

On what or who inspires her to write, she said: “It is my dad. He inspires me to write. I get my ideas from things happening around me, and from things that have happened to me. I write my experiences as they happen and with time, develop them into stories.”

Maryann did not have it easy in the beginning, as she explained that she had to overcome some challenges on the way. But because she knew what she wanted and with her parents’ support, she was able to deal with the challenges. Her approach is to take slow, cautious steps until the stories begin to flow gradually.

She said: “The beginning was not easy. What I do is to keep going and follow my dream until I finish writing a book. My parents encourage me a lot. I have learned to be focused to achieve my goal. I am grateful to my parents for their backing and motivation, which have enabled me to carry on. I must say without the encouragement and support from my parents, I would not have achieved my dream.”

Is she writing only for children? She replied in the negative.

“Although my books centre on children, adults can still read and enjoy them. My books make adult readers to remember their childhood. They also get lessons from the books to teach young ones,” she said.

But at seven, isn’t she still too young to talk of life experiences?

“I know I am young, but in my books, I only write within the little experiences or ideas I have been able to gather from happenings around me. They are things that happen in my environment, as well as things that happened to me personally,” she said.

Apart from impacting both the young and old with her writing, Maryann is also making money, selling copies of her books through Amazon and hard copies on special request.

On how she copes with writing, school and chores, Maryann explained that she has learned to handle them all.

She said: “I know that writing cannot be rushed or done in a hurry. So, I only write after finishing my chores and I am free. Usually, after returning from school, I do my homework and chores. And if no one needs me for anything, I then settle down to write. I need concentration to write, which is why I always make sure I do my assignments and other necessary things before I settle down to write.”

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