Chikamso Kanu must rank among the youngest authors ever to appear at the Pentland Book Festival – he’s 12 years old!
The former pupil of Dean Park Primary School in Balerno will take part in this year’s local authors’ event to promote his debut children’s book, The Official Gang, which he both wrote and illustrated—no mean feat!
The official gang is set in an imaginary world of intriguing characters making up a gang. This epic tale is full of fun and humour as well as serious subjects such as bullies, jealousy, fighting and health.
Chikamso likes writing because it helps him “calm down and relax”, and he has “a big imagination, thinks about a lot of stuff, and does not like forgetting [his] ideas”.
He also hopes to do some good: half of the royalties from sales of the book, published by Grosvenor House Publishing in September, will go to support children in need, especially those that have been impacted negatively by “gang” activities.
“I am sure every child has an innate desire to do good,” said Chikamso. “I hope to help them in my own little way to shine forth and let the goodness in them overcome the evil around them.”
The Official Gang can be purchased from Bookshop.org
