Sun-Born by Oluwatumininu Akinwande is shortlisted for the 2025 Author of Tomorrow Award, 12-15 Category. 

Sun-Born: If you wander deep into the forest and take the winding pathway you might find the remains of a little family’s even littler cottage. A house lacking love, a shell of what it used to be, a constant reminder of how fast people drift apart. And if you come closer to said cottage, you may begin to see the charred remnants that held it together, doomed to flicker forevermore. Warmth, comfort, protection. Stolen from this family on three separate occasions, but still this cottage persisted. Persisted and persisted, a symbol of stability in their lives. Persisted, until it couldn’t anymore.

When a fairy-tale becomes real, something read to you in your past to help you sleep, nothing is ever the same. Fire is passion, hope, and love, but also destruction, anger and judgement. Water is life, adaptability, and wisdom, but also fear, and turmoil. The duality of life, intertwined yet separate.

As you wonder what happened, distressed or not, one sentence comes to mind: The Phoenix and the Mermaid will rise forevermore, subjected to the tortures they forced on others.

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An interview with Oluwatumininu:

WNSF: What is your favourite book?

Oluwatumininu: The House of Hades by Rick Riordan - I remember reading it when I was younger and being SO excited. The Percy Jackson and Heroes and Olympus series was definitely what made me interested in Greek mythology, also what inspired me to name my characters!

WNSF: Who is your favourite author? Or one who has inspired you and why?

Oluwatumininu: I love Robin Stevens and her series Murder Most Unladylike. I am such a big fan of murder mysteries and I really like how she builds suspense throughout each book.

WNSF: What is your favourite subject at school?

Oluwatumininu: I change my favourite subject pretty often depending on what we’re doing, but right now I’m enjoying DT (Design Technology). I like the idea of product design and also enjoy product analysis.

WNSF: What does 'adventure writing' mean to you? Why did you try your hand at an adventure story?

Oluwatumininu: I don’t normally write adventure stories, and wanted to try something new. For me adventure writing is less about what literally happens in the story, but the emotional adventure and the development your characters go through. I love stories that focus on making your characters as complex as possible, with hopes and flaws, like real people, and try to incorporate that into my writing whenever possible.

WNSF: If you could ask an author anything, what would you like to know?

Oluwatumininu: I would probably ask how they commit to one idea. I have so many ideas in my head of a new story, and want to go back and forth between each one, so I really respect anyone who has had an idea and is fully committed with it until the end.

WNSF: Who would you consider to be one of your heroes and why?

Oluwatumininu: He doesn’t know I’m writing this, but I think my brother is pretty cool. I don’t know if he’s hero status, but I admire his level-headedness and his ability to stay calm in situations where I stress out, and he is always there to comfort me when I need it, which is nice of him.

WNSF: What is the most adventurous thing you would like to do, or a place you would like to visit and why?

Oluwatumininu: I have always thought about travelling the world with only my friends, but not with cars, or planes, just by walking or with a boat. My favourite show is Avatar: The Last Airbender and along with a lot of other things, it involves a group travelling and exploring their world. It’s probably not safe, or possible, to do, but going non-contact and travelling with a few friends would be such a great experience.

WNSF: Where do you get inspiration for your stories?

Oluwatumininu: Music!! I have a playlist just for creative writing, and I put it on every time I write. I get so many ideas from it, a different song with a different mood can completely change the direction of where I am going. I find it crazy how music can affect our moods so drastically.

WNSF: If you could time travel, where would you go and why?

Oluwatumininu: I would go to the future to check how we’re doing. It’ll probably just be confirmation that everything is alright - or in flames, then I’d ask to go back because I’d miss everyone from now.

WNSF: What three words would you use to describe your story?

Oluwatumininu: Family. Destiny. Nostalgia.

WNSF: Congratulations on your wonderful story, and good luck for the next stage of the competition!