KUWAIT: 10 year old author Yaseen Heikal poses with his book, From Earth To Mars. — Photo by Joseph Shagra

Typical 10-year-old boys enjoy football, spending time with friends and things like video games. Yaseen Heikal is anything but typical. Heikal recently launched his writing career by publishing his first book "From Earth to Mars". The Egyptian boy has written many short stories, and decided to publish this book for young space lovers and cosmos enthusiasts.

Kuwait Times spoke with Heikal and his mother Iman about his accomplishments and dreams. Iman said that her son has proven that anyone can change the world by changing the people in it, no matter how old they are. Some excerpts:

Kuwait Times: Tell us more about yourself, your hobbies, likes and dislikes?

Yaseen Heikal: I'm like any kid my age - I love playing soccer and reading books. I also like to swim and paint, and want to learn to dive like my big brother.

KT: Your first book has been published. Tell us a bit about the story and the delightful characters involved.

Yaseen: My brother suggested to use my family members as my main characters. They were inspired by my siblings - my elder brother for the character of Zoy, and my sister for the character of Sara.

KT: What motivated you to write?

Yaseen: I knew I wanted to write books for children from my experiences being a kid. It's just so inspirational - not only for me but for younger children.

KT: What's the hardest thing about writing for you? Did you find it hard to write a story and correct the grammar?

Yaseen: I needed a little help from my family and publisher to fix the grammar. Anyone can overcome the most challenging struggles.

KT: Who and what things have you read that especially helped your writing?

Yaseen: Space books, school and my family.

KT: What made you want to start writing, and not just read?

Yaseen: I think a lot of young people are scared to write a book because they think they can't do it. But let's face it - your dreams can come true. You have to be fearless and be passionate and take all the chances you have and do it with an open mind. Set a goal - it doesn't have to be a huge one. My goal was to get published, which is a pretty big goal. Everything starts somewhere.

KT: Who is your favorite writer/novelist? What sort of novels do you like?

Yaseen: My favorite author is Roald Dahl.

KT: What are your future plans?

Yaseen: I'm working on writing more stories. I already have three in mind.

KT: How do you balance between writing and schoolwork?

Yaseen: There is always a gap between school and playing football. I write in my free time and I manage in my head to make a schedule to balance between them.

KT: Did you face any problem finding a publisher?

Iman: I emailed AuthorHouse in the UK and they accepted to publish the book. The entire family supports him. Yaseen is the youngest Arab author to publish a book and fifth youngest child in the world, as my research revealed.

By Faten Omar