Belgian teenager publishes book in English

Did you know that the list of Belgian writers has just become a little longer with a very young author indeed?

Fourteen-year-old Febe Maenhout is a Belgian girl who has written her first novel. This is an amazing feat in and of itself, amplified by the fact that she wrote it in English, a mere two years after reading her first book in the language. According to Febe, it’s easier for her to find the right words in English than in Dutch.

Febe’s novel is called How I Love To Hate You and takes place in a fictional world with a culture reminiscent of the Middle Ages, as she has said herself.

While she is experiencing the joy of having a first novel -- her book came out just before Christmas --, she already has an idea for a second book, pointing out that How I Love To Hate You ends with a cliffhanger, setting it up perfectly for a sequel.

The young author has said that she loves to read and prefers to read in English. Whatever her language of choice may be, though, she joins a long list of Belgian authors. May she be appreciated the world over, like established names such as Amélie Nothomb, Stefan Hertmans, Hugo Claus or Georges Simenon.

Congratulations to the young Belgian, and may she have a long and successful literary career.