Deborah Kalu's Journey: Stories To Science

By Young Writers | All Ages

Alumni Series - Celebrating 35 Years Of Young Writers

Deborah first entered Young Writers while she was at Lea Valley Primary School, with her work published in Crazy Creatures – London Tales in June 2017 and Crazy Creatures – Southern Legends in November 2017. She went on to have more work published during secondary school at Hornsey School for Girls, including Mission Contamination – North London in July 2019 and Unsolved – Detective Tales in September 2021.

Now a university student studying Biomedical Science, Deborah has kept copies of her Young Writers books and certificates. We’re delighted to celebrate her as part of the Young Writers alumni feature and look back at the creativity she shared with us over the years.

Young Writers: Can you remember how it felt seeing your work published by Young Writers for the first time and why do you think that moment stayed with you?

Seeing my work for Young Writers being published for the first time was a wonderful feeling. I remember feeling so happy that my story was chosen and that other people would see what I had done. I think this moment stayed with me because, from a young age, I loved reading (I still do!) and when I heard about this writing competition, I remember thinking that this could be something fun, since it was related to something I loved doing.

Young Writers: Did it change how seriously you took writing (or creativity in general)?

Writing has always been something that I enjoyed doing occasionally, but after having my first story published, I think that my sense of creativity definitely increased after that. However, instead of taking writing more seriously, I think I just started reading more books, but it certainly didn’t take away my enjoyment of writing.

Young Writers: Who encouraged you to enter a Young Writers competition & why?

If I remember correctly, I will say my teachers and my mum were the first people who encouraged me to enter a Young Writers competition. I would say they encouraged me because of my love for reading. During primary school, my class and I often read most days of the week in class, and every Friday we went to the library to read and borrow books. I remember finding and reading new books in the library that I always wanted to borrow more than 3 books all the time; so, when we got the news of the Young Writers competition, the librarian and a couple of my teachers all thought it would be something I would enjoy, so they talked to my mum about it and she also thought it would be something nice for me to do. To no one’s surprise, they were right, I really did enjoy it!

Young Writers:  What skills did writing as a child give you that you still use?

As a child, writing gave the skill of thinking outside the box. I remember all the times during primary and secondary school when I had English, where we were analysing poems or making up stories that we would later peer-mark with classmates. I think writing also improved my use of punctuation and grammar because I still use grammar in my work now and in emails.

Young Writers: When you look back, why do you think opportunities like Young Writers matter?

Looking back now, I think that opportunities like Young Writes matter because it encourages children to be creative. In a world where there are many hardships, having something like Young Writers allows children of all ages to find something that gives them joy and like reading, a space where they can escape into the words of their own story. Finally, it also gives kids a window into what a career as an author/writer could feel like; so overall, it allows for a glimpse into a new career, encourages creativity and new hobbies, and provides a safe space for children’s creativity to grow and flourish. 

Young Writers: How do you think that early experience has shaped the way you support or encourage others now?

Having such an experience at an early age has definitely shown me how to have patience. I think it applies to how you support and encourage others in the way that it shows you how to be there for the people around you, and knowing the right time to show that support or offer space.

Young Writers: What does it mean to you to be part of the Young Writers legacy?

To me, being part of the Young Writers legacy is about watching how the next group of creative spirits, take their place in a community where they are encouraged to be as creative as they can and make use of the opportunities that are presented to them.

Young Writers: What would you say to a young writer who doubts their talent?

To any young writer who is starting out on their journey, I would say that it is completely normal to have doubts about what you can do. In fact, I still have doubts sometimes about the things that I can do. Mark 11:22 says “Have faith in God”, you do not have to be religious to believe in this message, but if you can find it within yourself to have hope and believe that you can overcome all the negative emotions then, you will find that there was nothing for you to worry about in the first place and it will be a funny memory to laugh at in future.