5-Year-Old Author Coryn Clarke on Her Writing Journey
photos courtesy of Dionne Baptiste-Clarke
written by Suhana Rampersad
It is often said “you’re never too young to change the world.” That is the philosophy 5-year-old Trinidadian author Coryn Anaya Clarke embodies. The child-author is reaching for the stars, sharing her voice, and experiences with her fellow youth.
At just the tender age of four, Coryn successfully published her first book “Chronicles of Coryn: 7 Days of Fun.” Since then, Coryn has been interviewed by multiple outlets and has even been invited in celebration of her work to Trinidad’s Prime Minister’s office where she met Ayanna Webster-Roy, Minister of Gender and Child Affairs. Coryn also serves as ambassador for the Prime Minister’s children’s rights campaign.
In speaking with Coryn’s mother Dionne Baptiste-Clarke, who is a journalist, Coryn’s literary growth is encouraged by both her parents. Their belief in her abilities as well as allowing her the freedom to pursue her dreams without repressing her young creativity are key factors to Coryn’s her literary works.
Coryn’s journey with writing began in June 2020, as an activity to help the extroverted and energetic young author-to-be cope with restrictions of a COVID-19 quarantine. She approached her mother about writing a book.
“She came to me telling me she wanted to write a book. I honestly didn’t take her seriously. She said it a few more times until one day in early July she dragged her chair and table close to my workstation and just started to write. She wrote and wrote, only pausing at intervals to ask for help spelling the words she wasn’t too familiar with. I still didn’t pay much attention. It wasn’t until days later she handed me a double lined copy of her book and said ‘mummy read my story.’ At this point I had no choice but to act because obviously, she was serious. What she had was really good! I asked her a few questions and she had clearly outlined what the rest of the book would say and her plans for illustrations. By the time she had gotten through with the third chapter, she told me she needed an artist. Coryn had even planned a book launch down to the most minute detail. She was four!”
The prodigal Coryn seemed to have mapped out her goals for the book. Coryn knew exactly how she wanted each of her illustrations to look. Once she and her mother found an illustrator, her young vision came to life.
“The very first picture, the illustrator worked on was the cover. After a cursory glance Coryn shook her head and said ‘no, no, no! Mummy this isn’t right, she isn’t brown enough.’ It took him two other attempts before he delivered a shade of brown that Little Miss was satisfied with. Coryn came up with the name of the book, the concept for the cover and all the other illustrations. She knew what she wanted the layout of the final product to be. She was soooo happy when she completed it and happier still when she was able to see it on Amazon.”
Coryn enthusiastically describes the premise of her book as, “me and my family doing fun activities!” Activities include yoga, ballet, music, making cupcakes, swimming and painting. Since the launch of her self-published book on Amazon, she has received much interest and attention from outlets in Jamaica, Antigua, St Kitts, and Toronto. She has also been the face of a short story challenge hosted by Bocas Lit Fest. In addition, she participated in READ2METT, a programme where bedtime stories are read to children on Instagram live by different readers every night. Little Coryn was supposed to read her book with her mother’s help, but ended up reading the entire book by herself.
[Additional Read: Meet Yolanda T. Marshall: The Caribbean-Canadian Mom Who’s Creating Caribbean Children’s Books]
Coryn has not stopped writing since the release of her book and plans to publish her second book. The topic? Her last visit to her paternal grandmother in Saint Kitts, with whom she is extremely close. While it is still in the process of publication, the young writer refuses to stop there. She is already working on her third book, which will be about her fifth birthday.
Coryn writes for children like her. With an empathetic style and youthful bliss the dedication “Chronicles of Coryn: 7 Days of Fun” reads:
To all the children everywhere
You are beautiful.
You are smart.
You are kind.
You are good.
You are brave.
You are strong.
You are brilliant and one of a kind.
You are important.
Coryn’s journey is merely at the start. She aspires to be a musician like her father, a ballerina like Misty Copeland and a doctor! Dionne Baptiste-Clarke beams with pride at her daughter’s drive. With her wide-eyed ambition, talent and self-assurance, Coryn is blazing a trail of literary inspiration for girls everywhere.
