Kirsten & Aiyven Mbawa

Nurture the joys of reading & writing for pleasure with two young authors

We are in a literacy crises.

Consider this:
•       1 in 5 children do not own a book
• 250K UK children enter secondary school unable to read or write properly
• 16.4% of UK adults are functional illiterates

Reading is fundamental, not just for academic outcomes but for socioeconomic and health outcomes too.

But there's hope.

At the age of 12 and 10, two young Northampton-born sisters, Kirsten and Aiyven Mbawa published their debut novels; Sagas of Anya & Land of the Nurogons.

A testament to their dedication, creativity and literary talent, their journey didn't start with a win.

Having entered the BBC 500 word competition in February 2019, theirs were not amongst the winning entries when the results were published in June 2019.

Instead of being deflated, the girls built on their 500 word entries to write and self-publish a middle-grade novel each in May 2020 with the help of a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign.  

Their mastery of the written word, ability to craft compelling narratives and engage readers at such a young age is a testament to their unique gift for storytelling.

In addition to their literary achievements, Kirsten & Aiyven are co-founders of a successful family business, Happier Every Chapter which started life to try and put diverse books into the hands of more children (a gap noticed when marketing their books).

Today Happier Every Chapter works with schools, corporates and families to help children's reading attainment and development of a global outlook through the curation of diverse and inclusive books.

Now 16 and 15, Kirsten and Aiyven have taken their passion for reading and writing on the road by delivering virtual and face-to-face creative writing workshops at primary schools across the UK; these are extremely popular with school leaders and pupils alike.

Their commitment to fostering a love for writing and self-expression ignites a sense of self-leadership, teamwork, innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit in their peers.

"I didn't know Black people could be authors", a girl said to her teacher at one of the schools where Kirsten and Aiyven delivered a workshop. Said girl is Black.

The power of representation here is deeply profound.

Another girl went on to enter and win a writing competition all because 2 girls who looked like her, showed her she could.

Their work has brought in a humbling amount of interest in their work including working with Disney, getting inducted as the First Ever Young Female Leads, features in BBC Look East TV, Channel 4, The Independent, Daily Express and many more.

Book Kirsten and Aiyven to deliver author visits or creative writing workshops and inspire your audience with proof that age doesn't preclude you from pursuing purpose and putting one's gift to the ultimate purpose, in service of others.

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