Muhammad DeLiang Al-Farabi, author
Jakarta, IO – Muhammad DeLiang Al Farabi is a child prodigy writer from Trenggalek, East Java. He went viral on social media after his video of speaking in English at a webinar started circulating.
DeLiang was born in Taipei on Jun 18, 2011. At four, he moved to Bristol, England, with his parents, Ario Muhammad and Ratih Nur Esti Anggraini, who were pursuing a doctoral degree at the University of Bristol. DeLiang and his two siblings grew up in Bristol.
DeLiang’s father conveyed how his son often spoke at English-speaking webinars to share his experience as a child author.
DeLiang is indeed a prodigy. At the age of 11, he had already published 40 books in English, some of which were placed in the top 50 best-selling books.
His first book is DeLiang the Deer, and his first novel is A Tale of J: A Dark Winter. His other two novels, A Tale of J Quirky Friends and Stories of the Worst Bullies History, were in the Top 15 Amazon Books in the US and the UK in the Dark Comedy category.
His fantasy novel, Rigel: The Last Guardian, once sat in the Top 50 on Amazon in the US and the UK.
“From the age of 6, he started writing books,” said Ario, as quoted by Kumparan. DeLiang’s writing talent developed after his father gifted him a silver-colored journal. DeLiang then started writing stories; the rest is history.
“I gave him a silver daily journal and asked him to write a short story or anything. That was the beginning of his interest in writing,” Ario said.
DeLiang’s father believes that writing in a journal is an effective way for children to express their feelings. By allowing children to write their emotions in a book, parents provide a space for children’s creativity to flourish.
DeLiang started publishing three illustrated books when he was 7 years old and received his first royalties of IDR 20 million at the age of 10.
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DeLiang has never taken any writing courses. His reading hobby is identical to his parents’, who are also enthusiastic about reading. Not surprisingly, by 2023, DeLiang has read around 300 books.
When invited to a popular podcast with Indonesian celebrity Deddy Corbuzier, DeLiang revealed his dream to become an engineer, while continuing to pursue his passion for writing. Currently, DeLiang does not submit to formal enrollment but takes to homeschooling.
Keep writing and inspiring Indonesian children, DeLiang! (rp)