I completed the book «The Lost Rabbit» and executed all its drawings

Alfie Marzouki. Youngest Emirati writer to enter Guinness Book of Records

  • Emirati girl Alfie Al Marzouqi. Emirates Today

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4-and-a-half-year-old Emirati girl Alfie Al Marzouqi is poised to set a new record as the youngest writer and illustrator in the world, after releasing her story "The Lost Rabbit", which she wrote and executed all her drawings.

Al Marzouqi signed her story, published in Arabic and English, at the book signing stand at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, which is currently taking place until May 28. She is also delighted to be signing the book at her school Brighton College Abu Dhabi next week.

Al Marzouqi expressed her ambition to become an author and illustrator of children's stories, and to share writing and reading the story with her friends on YouTube, expressing her pride in her homeland, the UAE, and the support and encouragement it provides to talents. She also pointed out that by publishing her story, she aims to encourage gifted children to express their talents, as well as to urge parents to support their children's talents.

Encyclopedia of Records

The mother of Alfie Tayeb Al-Berri indicated that she is preparing to apply to break the record and register her daughter in the Guinness Book as the youngest «publisher» in the world, pointing out that Alfi took three days to write her entire story, in addition to drawing and coloring all the pictures, which surprised her when she showed her her drawings and how her idea became real. She stated that it was not easy, as there were difficulties in publishing the story as a result of the desire of publishing houses to change the drawings of Alfi and replace them with others, until they contacted Sama Publishing House and agreed to print the story with drawings, encouraging the girl to achieve her dream and continue her path as the youngest writer and painter.

Al-Marzouqi's talent appeared at the age of two, as she loved listening to stories that the mother read to her before bedtime, and was keen to recognize names and letters, ask many questions, and search for different plots and endings of stories. She added: "She always asked me strange questions like how old is the tree? She wasn't interested in TV or tablet like other children, but she was interested in reading books."

Ongoing Support

"My 4.5-year-old daughter Alfie Marzouki loves to read and draw. They often create fictional characters and enjoy expressing feelings and sensations by telling the stories of these characters. One day I spoke to her about Bella G. Dark, the youngest girl to publish a book (female) at the age of 5. Later, Alfi told me that she was able to write and draw a comic story for children, and then I was happy with her speech and encouraged her to achieve what she aspired to, and it was not long before I found her inviting us to see her drawings, and where two friends drew one of them lost her rabbit, which is the idea of her story, and I kept asking her to tell me more about the rabbit and how it was found to urge her to complete the story.

The mother pointed out that supporting her daughter's talent was not limited to family members only, as her school also has a great role in encouraging her, especially her school Kelly, who always encourages her to read, and chooses stories for her to read at home.

For his part, father Yaqoub Al-Marzouqi confirmed that his daughter was always interested in pen and paper. He added: «When Alfi holds the pen, she begins to draw characters from her imagination, and then I realized that she has the talent for drawing, so I provided all the drawing requirements of colors and pens for her at a young age, to start learning about colors and how to combine them».

Al Marzouqi signed her story in Arabic and English at the Abu Dhabi Book Fair.

Wild Ok:

"Alfie took three days writing her entire story as well as drawing and coloring all the pictures."