At just four years old, Jayce Joyce from Sutton Coldfield amazed many by publishing his very first book. Now, at eight, he has earned the Guinness World Record for being the Youngest Editor of a Published Anthology.
This remarkable achievement came with the release of Our Stories Our World, a unique collection featuring 20 original stories authored by children from across the UK. The anthology, spanning 50 pages and developed over eight months, is the nation’s first nationally curated, child-led collection of literature, spotlighting young voices from diverse backgrounds.
Jayce, a Mensa member with an IQ of 150, says, “I’m incredibly proud of holding a Guinness World Record, but what truly makes me happiest is seeing children’s stories published across the country. Writing has given me confidence and a way to share my ideas. Every child’s voice matters.”
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With a strong belief that children shouldn’t just read stories but create them too, Jayce launched Books from Children to Children, the UK’s first national child-led literacy movement. This initiative aims to empower young readers and writers through school visits, workshops, literary festivals, and community projects — encouraging creativity, confidence, and inclusion.
The anthology draws inspiration from renowned poet Benjamin Zephaniah and includes stories that honor imagination and diversity, like One Big Awesome World, Najita and the Disappearing Handbag, Racism in Football, and Veda’s Big Indian Adventure. Submissions were carefully judged by award-winning educator Juliet Bremmer and author-illustrator Kate Rafiq before publication by Jayce’s World.
Jayce’s outstanding efforts have earned him numerous honors, including the British Citizen Youth Award Medal of Honour, the BBC Blue Peter Gold Badge, and a personal letter from Her Majesty Queen Camilla praising his contributions to literacy and community engagement. He was also recently longlisted as a child judge for the Children’s Booker Prize 2027.
His record-breaking accomplishment comes at a pivotal moment for children’s literacy in the UK, where research from the National Literacy Trust shows a significant decline in reading for pleasure—attributed largely to increased screen time and digital distractions.
“Instead of scrolling all summer, why not spend time storytelling?” Jayce urges young people. “You never know where one story might take you—it could be the start of your own publishing journey.”
Jayce is inviting young writers to participate in a summer competition for the chance to be published in next year’s anthology and join the growing child-led literary movement across the UK.