Daniel Kumi —A budding writer
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At barely 12 years, Daniel has already written and published three novels — Daniel’s Tales, Tor and Other Stories and the latest, Cats Cave, which was launched in Ghana recently.
One thing worth nothing about Young Daniel is his ability to sit for long hours to write an over 150-page book.
Born in Atlanta, Georgia in the USA on November 26, 2000 to Ghanaian parents, Daniel, in a chat with the Junior Graphic during his recent visit to Ghana, said it was his grandma, Hajia Ruqqiya Ahmed Ennin, who encouraged him to start writing.
He said when he was growing up he was very inquisitive and always wanted to know more.
When he was about four years old, his grandmother taught him how to read and write. Those skills motivated him to start penning his own works.
“Grandma taught me at home when I was a toddler. She hardly allowed me to watch television; all I did was read story books each day. I believe that inspired me to cultivate the habit of writing,” he explained.
By the time Daniel was six, he had started writing short stories which were collected into his first book, Daniel’s Tales. In 2011, he came out with his second book, Tor and Other Stories.
Asked how he comes by his ideas to write his stories, he said, “I just sit by my computer and any idea that comes to mind I write it down.”
“Sometimes I conceive story ideas from some of the things my friends do at school and other interesting things that go on within the community,” he added.
For instance, his latest book, Cats Cave, gives readers a roller-coaster experience about some of the daring escapades some schoolchildren engage in as they outwit bus conductors to ride buses unaccompanied and break into public libraries.
Daniel, who is very interesting to chat with, said he did not play computer games or spend all his time playing with friends.
“I keep few friends and rather stay indoors most of the time to enable me to put my thoughts together,” he said.
Although he lives in the US with his parents, Daniel is not the pampered type. He is made to help in the cleaning of the house and run some errands for his parents when the need be.
He is currently in Grade Seven, which is equivalent to JHS One, at the Marietta Middle School in the USA.
Apart from reading, Daniel loves to play the trombone and also attends Spanish language classes and hopes to come out with a book written in Spanish in the near future.
Asked what he wants to do in future, he said, “I have several interests which make it a bit difficult to know which way to go.
I love dentistry, journalism and the work of the surgeon, but for now I think writing is my best.”
Despite the fact that Daniel is in Ghana for the first time, he seems to have an in-depth knowledge of all the 10 regions of Ghana and its rich culture.
He is the first child of Mr Alex Kumi and Mrs Adelaide Kumi and has a younger sister called Faith.
Daniel, who hopes to come out with a sequel to Cats Cave next year, asked children to keep reading and allow good to triumph over evil.
By Hadiza Nuhhu-Billa Quansah/Junior Graphic/Ghana
