We’re excited to introduce you to our November Author of the Month, Aleyah E.! Aleyah has been a member of 826NYC’s Teen Writers’ Collective since 2021.

What is your favorite thing you’ve written recently? Tell us a bit about it!

I wrote a continuation of a story I wrote last year. It was a fantasy about werewolves and vampires and witches. I wrote two more chapters. It was called “Fantasies in Reality.” 

What are three words you would use to describe 826NYC?

Unique, Captivating, Accepting.

What advice would you give someone writing for the first time?

When you’re writing for the first time, don’t be scared. You have to get into the zone that what you’re writing about is not for anybody’s sake but your sake. There aren’t any rules, or mishaps, or disbeliefs. You can’t judge your work so quickly. It takes time to build a piece that you actually really like, so just go with the flow.

Read Aleyah’s poem “Fruitcake” here, and learn more about the Teen Writers’ Collective and other programs offered by 826NYC here.