Kissing Booth 2 review: Meet Beth Reekles, author wey inspire di Netflix movie wen she be 15 years old
Schoolgirl Beth Reekles wey grow up for south Wales, always dey regard her passion for writing as a "weird hobby".
Sotee di 15-year-old keep am as secret as she write in her bedroom of her family house for Rogerstone, Newport for UK. After she don write nine books later, dem translate her work into many languages. Time Magazine don also hail her as di world 14th most influential teen - just behind Justin Bieber. Now wey she don turn 25, di movie sequel to her first hit, Di Kissing Booth, don dey on Netflix. "I be introvert, shy, bookish and I love to write - but I no sabi any oda pesin wey like to write and e dey strange, So I did not tell my friends and family say na my hobby be dat". "Dem just tink say I dey on Facebook or I dey do my homework wen I dey on my computer, dem no sabi say I dey actually post chapters of my book online. Beth bin discover one online story sharing app, Wattpad, and she start dey post chapters of Di Kissing Booth. At first she tink say e dey "cool" to receive a handful of comments and so she keep adding more words until she gathered 19 million 'reads'. Dis na even before she even write her GCSE exams. Di Kissing Booth win a fans award for Best Teen-Fiction of 2011 and a year later, publishers Penguin Random House come knocking wit an offer - a week afta she don post her university applications. "I freak out wen I get di message and run go see my parents," she tok. "I be only 17 and I no get any agent so my papa follow me to read over di contract." In 2018, dem release di film version of Di Kissing Booth on Netflix. "Wen I follow go South Africa to watch di filming, na incredible moment for me to to see my characters come to life before my eyes. "My papa just look around at all di crew and actors and say, 'Look at all dis pipo wey dem employ because of something wey you create.' Na ogbonge moment for me. Despite say she just publish her ninth book, writing na side hustle for di physics graduate wey dey work full-time in IT for one energy company for Solihull, Birmingham. "Actually, I dey do di job wey I don always wan do and writing na just my hobby - E just happun say na successful one," she tok.