Samar Samir Mezghanni is a 28-year-old Tunisian-Iraqi writer with two records in the Guinness Book of World Records as the youngest writer in the world. She has written over 100 short stories for children, published 14 books, and leverages her talent to advocate for youth empowerment in Tunisia and around the world.
As a prolific writer and storyteller, Samar is passionate about using her talent to motivate and inspire young people as creators of content, especially as it relates to women’s rights, inequality, and peace and justice. Hailing from the birthplace of the Arab Spring, Samar gave the keynote address at the 2016 Economic and Social Council Youth Forum, where she spoke about the unique qualities of youth power. “We live in a world organized by fear. As young people, we have not yet learned to fear. Our audacity to write different stories, to challenge inequalities and to accept others and to connect to them, makes us unique actors in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.”
Samar has long explored morality through her storytelling, bringing to life notions such as sustainable development through inter-personal narratives and empowering young people to use their voices. Samar has been named as one of the most Powerful Arab women and one of the 30 Top Arab Achievers under 30. She is currently completing her PhD at the University of Cambridge.