World’s youngest published author releases second book

By Ellie Forbes via SWNS

A little girl who became the world's youngest published author at age 5 is set to make history again - after releasing her second.

Bella-Jay Dark, now 6 will become the youngest female author to publish a series of books after following up on her debut.

Last year Bella-Jay scooped the Guinness World Record for the youngest published author after selling more than 2,000 copies of 'The Lost Cat.'

Her second book, "Snowy’s Birthday Party," is out now available on Amazon, Waterstones and through publisher Ginger Fyre Press.

Bella-Jay will need to sell 1,000 copies to surpass the official current record for the youngest author of a book series.

It is currently held by Laiba Abdul Basit who was 10 years and 164 days old when she published a series of novels called Order of the Galaxy.

Bella-Jay's mom Chelsie Syme, 28, said: “I think it’s so sweet to see a child have so much interest in something so original.

“And to have the determination and imagination to sit down and do it. I don’t think many six-year-old would.

“We have asked her if she would have kept doing the books even if she hadn’t got the world record and she said she would.

“The record is just an extra bonus for her.

“The second book is all about a birthday party at a local place where we have actually been for a birthday party.

“Friendship is the message in the book, it’s about how friendship is more important than possessions.

“In the book Snowy shares some of the new toys that she got for her birthday and something gets broken and there is a bit of a fall out.

“But they realize it’s not the end of the world and that their friendships are more important.”

Bella-Jay from Weymouth, UK, stunned her family in 2021 when she told them she was going to write a book.

Her parents, Chelsie, a professional chef, and Myles Dark, a plasterer 31, thought it was just ‘one of those things’ children say.

But they were stunned when Bella-Jay turned her dream into a reality with her first book which features a feline who goes on adventures and learns an important lesson.

And Bella-Jay has already started writing her third book.

Chelsie added: “She is very determined with the publishers, she wants to be the ones to call them and wants to make sure she is the face of it.

“She absolutely loves doing the books and she loves succeeding at it.

“When she gets an idea she just goes with it, we have seen her sitting in the back of the car drawing.

“She has written half of the third book already.”

Ginger Fyre Press has produced both books.