On March 28, 2022, Saskatchewan’s young writer and author of The Carnival Boy sat in the Speaker’s Gallery at the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan and witnessed the proceedings as the two parties debated issues ranging from Bill 70 to the new provincial budget.
“It is an honour to be here. It’s cool to see a live session rather than on a television set,” Chidera Igwe said as she stepped out of the question period.
The question period was preceded by the introduction of guests, during which Regina-Pasqua MLA Muhammed Fiaz, announced to the Speaker of the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly as well as his fellow law makers that “last year, while in Grade 5, Chidera became one of Saskatchewan’s youngest authors when she published her first book, The Carnival Boy.”
MLA Fiaz noted that Chidera “made her family, her school, Regina, and the African Canadian community very proud of her accomplishment as a young Saskatchewan writer.” The law maker described the young writer as “a hardworking young lady and I am proud to have her and her family as my constituents.”
MLA Fiaz told the law makers that in July 2021, he “had a chance to visit and chat with Chidera about the book when it first came out.” He added that “The Carnival Boy is an interesting story about the adventure of a teenage girl who loves carnivals.”
Recall that in April 2021, while in Grade 5, the then 11-year-old Chidera published her first book and became one of Saskatchewan’s youngest authors.
The Carnival Boy is a fictional novel, the adventure of Melissa Edwards, a young lover of carnivals who loses her way during a family vacation. Melissa’s encounter with a young boy seems like a blessing as they try to find their way out of the dangers of the carnival. But is the young boy who Melissa really thought he was?
After the legislative session and debate, one of the notable moments was when Saskatchewan’s Minister of Education Honourable Dustin Duncan met with the young writer and congratulated her for her new book.
“This is a big accomplishment and we are very proud of you,” Minister Duncan said to Chidera who nodded in agreement as she autographed a copy of The Carnival Boy for the Minister.
“My favorite genre when it comes to writing stories is anything to do with horror, fantasy, or mystery,” Chidera said. “But to be honest, I am more of a horror fan. I plan to continue writing books and growing the structure I have so far,” she said, as she answered questions from the law makers.
The young author’s father, Dr. Chidi Igwe, a community leader and public servant, who visited the Legislative Assembly with his daughter told the law makers that Chidera loves reading and writing and wants to be a great author in the future.
“We are proud to have young people like her in our province,” MLA Fiaz said.
