Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Young Saudi novelist Ritaj Hussain Al-Hazmi was named as the world’s youngest ever book series writer in the Guinness World Records.

“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 female person to publish a book series.

Ritaj was aged 12 years 295 days at the time of her record being verified by the Guinness World Records. 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.

The 14-year-old girl began writing short stories and diaries at the age of six and received great attention and support from her family and friends. “I started writing at the age of six while I was accompanied by my family to study abroad,” she said.

The family provided her with all means to develop her ideas and talent in creative writing. This enabled her to join many specialized training courses in the field of writing, and develop her talent and skills through avid reading and practicing creative writing.

At the age of seven, Ritaj started visiting libraries in Saudi Arabia. She began publishing her first novel in English when she was ten years old. The first novel, written in English and titled “Treasure of the Lost Sea,” was published in 2019. The novel 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.

Her second book, titled “Portal of the Hidden World,” was published in November 2020. After the book was published, Ritaj qualified for the record for the youngest person to publish a book series (female) and she was awarded the title after reviewing her application. She followed this up with her third novel, “Beyond the Future World,” published in 2021.

Ritaj recently completed writing the fourth novel 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. She has been successful in setting her goals and achieving them, the most important of which was the title of the youngest book series writer in the world in the Guinness Book of Records from the year 2020 until to date.

Ritaj recently published an article focusing on nature and climate change. Speaking to Saudi Press Agency, Ritaj also revealed her new project concerned with future generations and the future of the climate, which is one of the most important challenges the world is witnessing at present. She highlighted that its impact constitutes a major crisis on the lives of many living beings and threatens them with extinction.

In this perspective, she is currently working on publishing a new book on the future of climate titled “The Day Before 2050.” She explained that the reason for choosing this title is that the date of 2050 is the goal of reaching net-zero emissions, which has been approved by many countries around the world.

“It took me about a year to write my books, and it depends on the type of book, and the writing mechanism that I follow is one of the most famous international methods called “Save The Cat Method,” as it works on dividing the composition of the novel in the form of main points. This is in addition to some electronic applications that helped me organize ideas and ensure the sequence of events in the novel while writing and reviewing it before the proofreading stage,” she said.

Al-Hazmi thanked Saudi Arabia for all the care and attention it provided, represented by all its educational and cultural bodies. “I am looking forward to a promising future, with currently focusing on developing skills and exploring the best available opportunities.”

Born in Dhahran, the Eastern Province, Ritaj speaks Arabic and English and is now learning Japanese too. The writing style of the favorite British author J.K. Rowling was an inspiration to Ritaj, while workshops such as those by Jessica Brody’s have sharpened up her skills. She is also a fan of the works of the American author Joanne Rendell.