A 13-year-old Ealing author has been recognised at City Hall after winning a prestigious London-wide award celebrating young people making a difference in their communities.
Lauryn Rose Cabral Teixeira was one of nine winners honoured at the 2026 London Youth Achievement Awards on Friday (29 May 2026), receiving the Inclusion and Diversity Award. The awards are jointly hosted by the London Assembly and the London Youth Assembly.
The award recognised her multilingual book, Lauryn That’s Me: The Journey of a Powerful African Girl, and her work promoting inclusive storytelling while challenging stereotypes surrounding Afro hair and Black identity.
Lauryn, who attended Holy Family Catholic Primary School in Acton, wrote and published Lauryn That’s Me: The Journey of a Powerful African Girl aged just nine. The book shares her experiences after her father left during the Covid-19 pandemic and reflects her African-Portuguese heritage, including her family links to Cape Verde and São Tomé.
She is also recognised as the youngest author of Afro-Portuguese descent to publish a book in the UK. Speaking previously about her book, Lauryn said she wanted to address the lack of stories about children raised by a single parent and the absence of books reflecting her family’s two countries.
Lauryn said: “I want to inspire and educate young children. I want them to feel that no matter who they are or where they are, they are unique and special.”
Assembly Member Andrew Boff, chair of the London Assembly, said: “These young people are the leadership and the change that we need right now.”
Hugo Maxwell, chair of the London Youth Assembly, said: “The London Youth Assembly is proud to have played its part in tonight’s awards, and we thank the London Assembly for all its help in highlighting the best of what young people do for London.”
