As a group of young writers ourselves, you could say teenAGE has a soft spot for other young writers. So it’s no surprise that when we stumbled across Matthew Dawkins’ blog, we had to get in touch. At 19 years-old, Matthew Dawkins has already done what others his age and older only dream about: he runs his own blog, and he’s written four distinct works and published them online to rave reviews. But even with a Watty Award to his name, he’s not done just yet. It’s pretty

clear to us he’s just getting started.

Read on to get to know Matthew and to see his advice on what it takes to be a great writer and on striking the school/leisure reading/working toward the future balance.

teenAGE: What school do you go to?

Matthew D: The Wolmer’s Boys’ School.

teenAGE: What is your favourite book?

Matthew D: That changes constantly, but right now it’s probably The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo.

teenAGE: How long have you been blogging?

Matthew D: I started blogging last year October so…around four months now.

teenAGE: Where did your interest in writing come from?

Matthew D: I’ll never forget being really young and my nanny at the time constantly reading stories to me. I fell in love immediately and one of my first perfected sentences was, ‘Can you read to me?’ I still recall it vividly and I think that’s where it all began for me. Then as I grew up, writing came just as naturally. However, Wattpad I think played a vital role for me. It taught me that anyone could write a story, even me. So, in third form I began taking my craft a lot more seriously and I began writing on Wattpad.

teenAGE: Speaking of Wattpad, you won a Watty in 2018. What was that like?

Matthew D: [It was] surreal. I entered the Wattys every year but it was always just for fun. Wattpad has millions of great stories and I was still a fairly new writer so I really never expected much. I was always a fan of the people who won and it was great seeing my favourite writers get acknowledged, so imagine my surprise when I myself was long-listed, shortlisted and then won. It was an acknowledgement that really meant a lot to me and grew my readership exponentially. Especially because I won the Changemaker category, the award given to the stories that feature underrepresented points of view in traditional media, it

really meant a lot to me!

teenAGE: What do you want to be when you grow up?

Matthew D: When I grow up, I want to be a writer (obviously) but more than that I want to be an inspiration. I want younger black boys and girls to have their voices heard through me in the world of fiction. 

teenAGE: On the way to being an actual grownup, where do you see yourself in five years?

Matthew D: Hopefully, in five years I’d have finished my degree and written lots more stories. I can’t say I want anything much more than to simply challenge and inspire people through my writing.

teenAGE: How do you balance fiction-writing, leisure reading, school and extracurricular responsibilities?

Matthew D: By the grace of God and with little to no sleep. It is rough but I love what I do and that automatically makes all the pain worth it.

teenAGE: I have no statistics to back it up, but it feels like 99% of the internet’s writing and blogging community is female. Does that make it difficult to be a young, black, male writer?

Matthew D: It’s no surprise that the world of fiction is female-dominated and white-dominated but I don’t think it’s particularly difficult being a young, black, male writer. The writing community is mostly very open-minded and willing to explore new things, especially today. With that being said, I can’t say I’ve had any real issues. Sure, maybe if I was a white girl I’d probably have more reads and fame and even a publishing deal, but I don’t necessarily write for those things. I write because I love the craft and I want to inspire people. As long as I’m doing that, I’m satisfied.

teenAGE: Do you have any advice for young Jamaican writers that want to model your success?

Matthew D: Write honestly. You contain rare stories that haven’t really been tapped into yet. The world doesn’t know them and that gives you an edge. We’re a special people so highlight that. Also, consistency is key and passion is a must. Those two ingredients will take you places.

teenAGE: Last question: sharing your work – any kind of creative work – can feel a bit like exposing your most private thoughts. Do you have

any tips for conquering that fear?

Matthew D: That’s an excellent question. My tip for conquering that fear is quite simple. Remain confident in the fact that you are not alone. If you love what you do, whatever it is, I can guarantee you that there will be millions who will love it too. Do it for those millions.

Matthew Dawkins is a 19-year-old self-described writer, poet, creator and procrastination connoisseur. He runs his own blog at 

matthewdawkinswrites.com where he talks lifestyle and fashion, and gives book reviews and reading recommendations. He is currently published on the popular online writiing platform Wattpad, where he has developed a loyal following of readers. He is also proud to have recently been invited by Wattpad to be part of their new effort – Wattpad Next – to compensate writers on the site for the views and readers they attract.

Matthew is an upper sixth form student at The Wolmer’s Boys’ School where he studies Sociology, Literatures in English, Spanish and Caribbean Studies. He is the President of Writer’s Circle, Vice President of Modern Languages Club, a member of the Debate Team, and he juggles a host of other responsibilities he’s either too modest or forgetful (jokes!) to mention. His favourite genre of fiction is contemporary. Follow Matthew’s musings and adventures in writing on Wattpad, Twitter and Instagram @MatthewD_writes.