A talented young author from Alderley Edge has been honoured with a prestigious award from the Mayor of Manchester after getting his debut novel published at just 17 years old.
Fantasy writer Harry Rajah, now 18, of Oakfield Road, received the Lord Mayor’s Special Commendation during a special reception at Manchester Town Hall hosted by Mayor Mavis Smitherman. The commendation recognises Harry’s remarkable achievement of publishing his first novel, Prophecy, before his 18th birthday.
Harry was joined at the ceremony by his great uncle and former Manchester mayor, Afzal Khan, his grandmother Hamidd Jaweed, and his aunt, Dr. Nyla Raja.
“It was amazing getting my award—so much fun,” said Harry. “I was honoured to meet the mayor.”
In a thoughtful gesture, Harry gifted a copy of his book to the mayor before leaving the ceremony.
The young novelist, often dubbed “Alderley Edge’s answer to J.K. Rowling”, lives with his mother Lupna and sister Jasmine. He began working on Prophecy at the age of 13, balancing schoolwork and exams alongside his passion for storytelling.
The 270-page novel, published by Arima Publishing, is set in the mythical world of Atria. It follows the journey of heroine Alia, who must recover the scattered pieces of the legendary Staff of the One to defeat the malevolent Dark Lords.
“It’s weird seeing my book on the shelves,” Harry admitted. “But it’s also incredibly exciting.”
Harry, a student at All Hallows College in Macclesfield, is donating part of his book’s profits to his college’s HIV charity and to Booth Hall Children’s Hospital.
A lifelong fan of fantasy fiction, Harry said his inspiration came from reading a particularly disappointing novel.
“I’ve been hooked on fantasy since I was really young. One day I read a bad book and thought—I could do better.”
Now a published author with his first book signing on the horizon, Harry is already hard at work on the sequel.
“I’m working on the next book,” he confirmed. “There’s so much more of Atria to explore.”
Prophecy is available now from www.arimapublishing.com, www.amazon.co.uk, and selected bookshops, priced at £9.99.
Details of Harry’s upcoming Wilmslow book signing are expected to be announced soon.