Treasure of the Lost Sea, Portal of the Hidden World, and Beyond the Future World are all titles of novels written by the world’s youngest person to publish a book series (female).
Ritaj Hussain Alhazmi (Saudi Arabia) was aged 12 years 295 days at the time of her record being verified.
Ritaj creates fiction stories for children to help them think more creatively and widen their imagination, selling the books through her online store and many other online portals.
"I started writing at the age of six while I was accompanied by my family to study abroad," she said.
At only seven years old, Ritaj started visiting libraries in Saudi Arabia, and eventually started writing short stories.
She published her first novel, written in English and titled Treasure of the Lost Sea, in 2019. Her second book, titled Portal of the Hidden World, was published in November 2020.
After her second book was published, Ritaj qualified for the record for the youngest person to publish a book series (female) and after her application was reviewed, was awarded the title.
Ritaj followed this up with her third novel, Beyond the Future World.
Treasure of the Lost Sea tells the story of two siblings who live on a deserted island with a poor family. Their lives are full of challenges, hardships and perseverance.
But then, something happens, and their lives take an unexpected turn towards a new world in which they embark on an adventure and become its heroes.
"I write for my fellow children community. I realized there aren’t many novels for this age group, so I decided to create a few of my own."
Ritaj was born in Dhahran, Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, speaks Arabic and English and now, aged 14, is learning Japanese too.
The writing style of the British author J.K. Rowling was an inspiration to Ritaj, while workshops such as those by Jessica Brody’s sharpened up her skills. She is also a fan of Joanne Rendell’s work.
"Being a Guinness World Records holder is a big achievement that I want to share with young writers. I want to motivate and encourage young writers to take challenges and face obstacles."
Ritaj is currently working on the fourth book in the series, The Passage to the Unknown, as she carries on her march to inspire the children of the world to chase their dreams.
However, Ritaj isn't the only young author that has a Guinness World Records title.
British girl Bella J Dark holds the record for the youngest person to publish a book (female), after having her book The Lost Cat published when she was just 5 years 211 days old.
The Lost Cat was published on 31 January 2022 by Ginger Fyre Press.
Correction: A previous version of this article stated that Portal of the Hidden World was published in 2019. The correct date of publication is 1 November 2020. Ritaj Alhazmi (b. 11 January 2008) was also stated as being 13 years old - she is now aged 14. The article was updated with these corrections on 08/07/2022.
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