Teenager who wrote her first book when she was 14 is tipped to become the next JK Rowling

13 April 2012

She started writing her novel at the age of 14, scribbling down sentences as she sat at the back of the classroom.

Five years on, Catherine Banner is being tipped as the new JK Rowling.

Now 19, Miss Banner is celebrating the publication of her work, The Eyes Of A King. The fantasy novel  -  the first in a trilogy  -  hits the shelves today and there is already talk of a film version.

Talented: Catherine Banner wrote her first book while she was still at school

Talented: Catherine Banner wrote her first book while she was still at school

Last night Miss Banner, who lives with her parents in Cambridge, told how she started writing as a "bit of fun".

On sale today: Catherine's book is tipped to become a bestseller

On sale today: Catherine's book is tipped to become a bestseller

"Growing up, I always loved stories and writing," she said, citing The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe as one of her inspirations.

"When I was little one of my favourite games was to staple together sheets of paper and make them into a book with stories and pictures, and later I spent hours after school writing stories.

"I started the book when I was 14 and used to write after school and at the weekends.

"I wrote in any available time I had  -  sometimes I was even noting down a few sentences at the back of the class or in between lessons so as not to forget them.

'It was just a bit of fun. I had an idea for a story so I wrote it down to see how it would turn out."

The teenager's part-time jottings soon unfolded into a fantasy story set partly in England and partly in a parallel world in the fictional country of Malonia.

Having knocked the novel into shape, a 16-year-old Miss Banner visited a book festival in Cambridge and heard a talk by a literary agent.

Afterwards she went up and asked him: "Do you think at 16 I'm too young to start writing seriously?"

She recalled: "I wasn't expecting him to take on my book, but he asked had I written a book and when I said yes he said to send it to him."

The agent recognised the potential of the work and Miss Banner discovered she was going to be signed to a publishing deal shortly after sitting her final GCSE.

The comprehensive schoolgirl, who got straight As in her exams, said: "I had always dreamed of being a writer but it never crossed my mind that the book would be published.

"I was really excited and very shocked  -  it just meant so much to me.

"Now I'm looking forward to hearing what people think of the book.'"

The teenager  -  who has no family background of writing  -  is now nearing the end of a gap year after completing A-levels last summer.

But she has not been taking it easy. She has already completed the second novel in the trilogy and started on the third.

She is due to start an English degree at Cambridge University in September.

She hopes to continue writing but says she thinks her fourth book will be something "quite different".

Lauren Buckland, Miss Banner's editor at Random House Children's Books, said: "She is a remarkable talent and definitely a writer to watch.

"She has created a brilliant book  -  it's got pace, great characters, and a real sense of adventure which leaves the reader wanting to know more.

"She may even take on JK Rowling."

 CATHERINE'S MAGIC WORLD

Like the Harry Potter books, The Eyes Of A King depicts young people and their adventures in a world of magic.

Its central character is Leo North, a teenager living in Malonia, a country on the brink of revolution.

As the novel begins, Leo is feeling angry and disillusioned, having been forced to complete military training.

Then he stumbles on a mysterious black book in the snow. From the first moment he touches the book, he senses its strange power.

Words start appearing on the pages. They reveal family secrets, tell the history of Malonia and uncover the story of Ryan and Anna, two teenagers from England - a country that is only a fairy tale in Malonia.

Initially the book provides an escape for Leo, but when he has to face sudden tragedy, he realises that the story is inextricably linked to his own life, and may change Malonia for ever.



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