My name is Joudia Faiq, and I was born on November 22, 2007, in Verviers, Belgium. Born to a Belgian mother and a Moroccan father, I’ve had the privilege of growing up in two radically different cultures. On one side, my mother celebrated every Christmas as a dream come true, while on the other, my father infused Moroccan warmth into our family moments. Today, I have the privilege of entering the 5th year of secondary school in a place where I feel at home, and I benefit from the Boost program, which enriches my life every day.

One sentence has profoundly changed me, to the extent that I’ve made it my motto: “You are only responsible for your choices, not for the consequences of others’ choices.”

A passion for writing has always been a part of me. From my compositions to my dreams, imagination has always been my ally in writing. Writing to forget, writing to entertain myself, writing to please. And just when I was about to give up on it all, some of my teachers and friends gave me back my faith in myself.

Thanks to them, to Martine, and to my own determination, today, at the age of 15, I am publishing my first book. And this is just the beginning of a great adventure! It goes to show, we all need a supportive circle of people around us.