16-year-old publishes second book
16-year-old author Jess Robus launches her second book that tackles mental health and identity issues.
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Sixteen-year-old high school learner, poet and author Jess Robus, is a mental health advocate who can usually be found listening to music, singing, writing, immersed in a book, and reading up on various topics if she’s not spending time with her friends.
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She’s an avid songwriter, debater, performing arts enthusiast, and budding linguist. Her dreams include studying English in the UK, writing for Marvel or Broadway, and eventually learning how to skip.
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Jess started writing poems when she was eight years old. At nine she started writing lyrics and music. In 2021, she published her first anthology of poetry called A Few Slivers of Light.
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She uses writing as a way to process the world around her and as a form of escapism. She has written poems, short stories, fan fiction, songs, and two mini-musicals along with her new children’s book that was released on April 22, the day before World Book Day.
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“Arnold the Not Dinosaur is a beautifully illustrated children’s book and is about family, belonging, identity, and everything in between,” said Jess.
“With Arnold, I hope to open discussions around mental health and identity with children, providing an opportunity for healthy dialogue around complicated questions,” she added.
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Mental health and raising awareness around it are very important to Jess. After struggling with anxiety and depression she used her first book as a means to open conversations on these issues. She has spoken at a number of schools and on various literary platforms and is also a youth ambassador for Edu360 – a school for the neurodiverse.
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