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At the age of just 15, a schoolgirl has become the youngest Saudi to publish an English-language novel. Leena Althekair started writing her book, \u201cForeshadow,\u201d in the summer of 2017, when she was still only 14.<\/p>\nAt the age of just 15, a schoolgirl has become the youngest Saudi to publish an English-language novel. Leena Althekair started writing her book, \u201cForeshadow,\u201d in the summer of 2017, when she was still only 14.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have always had this idea but it wasn\u2019t clear,\u201d she said. \u201cBut as I kept writing, it got easier and now it\u2019s in the form of \u2018Foreshadow.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
The idea for the story originally emerged from a school writing assignment.<\/p>\n
\u201cI actually wrote an essay for school and when I re-read it I thought, \u2018You know what? This is a pretty good novel idea\u2019 \u2014 and then I spent whole summer writing it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me, it was never about becoming well known, it was getting the message across that age doesn\u2019t really matter; what matters is that you need to work hard. You are never too young or too old to be chasing your dreams.\u201d<\/p>\n
Althekair said she had her share of naysayers and detractors who told her she was not old enough to succeed.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople would say to me, \u2018You are still young \u2014 don\u2019t do it now because you have so much ahead of you.\u2019 But my mom and dad and my friends have been such a big support, cheering me on,\u201d she said. \u201cSometimes I would just want to stop but my friends told me to go on. In the beginning it was hard, because people wouldn\u2019t take me seriously. A lot of them didn\u2019t say anything but they would give me strange looks. I focused on the people who supported me instead.\u201d<\/p>\n
It is well known that writer\u2019s block is the worst enemy of an author. Most will face it at some time, and Leena was no exception.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the middle of the book I started panicking because I had only planned it that far,\u201d she said. \u201cThere were times I deleted whole chapters right before sending it to the editor and wrote the whole thing again.\u201d<\/p>\n
After pushing through the tough times, the book was finally completed and published, and Althekair recently appeared at the Virgin Megastore in Jeddah to sign copies for excited readers. Her family were there, as always, showing support for their talented daughter.<\/p>\n
The book features a suspenseful, well-written story that draws the reader in from page one. The plot revolves around the adventures of Meghan, who is about to start high school. Her older brother is a physics geek, and she is spending time with him in his lab when an accident changes her life.<\/p>\n
As for Althekair\u2019s own continuing adventure as an author, she said she has ideas for further novels, including a possible sequel for \u201cForeshadow.\u201d<\/p>\n