The ten-year-old author rewriting South Africa’s future

Books changed Stacey Fru’s life. Her world is defined by her love for reading and writing. And so, after making it her mission to reach South Africa through literature, she launched her first self-published book in 2016. Fru is just ten years old.

Smelly Cats tells the story of two feline cousins who are connected by blood but find themselves quite different in personality. Despite their squabbling, the pair manages to be friends. The tale illustrates how we don’t all have to agree to get along – a narrative to which most can relate. Fru hopes to write similarly inspiring messages into her future work, demonstrating a wisdom that belies her age.

For the young author, writing is a personal joy that she hopes to carry with her throughout her school years. And even though her long-term goal is to become a doctor, her biggest dream is for South Africa to one day stake a claim for being the literary capital of the world. Words have power. Reading changes lives. If Fru succeeds in even part of her mission, South Africa will be better off for it.