Meet Anvi, a record-breaking author and public speaker
Did you know that you have a superpower?
Yes, YOU! And not just in your dreams…
You see, we all have the ability to be creative, and two-time record holder, Anvi Vishesh Agrawal, sees this as a superpower.
Anvi, who lives in Bhubaneswar, Khordha, India, joined the GWR family in 2024 as the youngest person to publish a bilingual book (female) – aged 4 years 254 days!
She wrote her debut, Little Girl, Big Emotions, in both English and Spanish.
What languages can you speak?
Within the 1st week of publication, Anvi sold over 1,167 copies!
And she got to host her own book signing events in several popular Indian bookstores.
How cool is that?!
Reflecting on the inspiration for her book, the now-6-year-old told GWR: “Because my emotions were big - BIGGER than me! - I sometimes felt like a volcano.
“But then, I learnt emotions are okay. We just need to talk about them.
“I made [the] book so other kids don’t feel like aliens around their feelings, and instead, [learn to] validate and express them in a calm way,” she added.
If you were writing a book, what would it be about?
Less than a year later, Anvi claimed her 2nd world record as the youngest TEDx speaker (female).
A TEDx speaker is someone who has delivered a short speech at an event organised by TED, a non-profit company that shares free presentations online.
Aged 5 years 96 days, she gave a talk in Faridabad, Haryana, India, titled “Creativity is a child’s superpower”.
Anvi shared how her paintings and stories are influenced by her vast imagination, and explained how engaging in these hobbies allows her to process her emotions.
“Well, I was sitting and thinking, “Hmm, what do I have that nobody can take away?”, Anvi recalled. “And BOOM! My brain said, “creativity”!
“I mean, the people who made the train or the aeroplane - they didn’t copy anyone! They used their imagination, like superheroes. So, I said, “Yep, that’s my topic”.
This was Anvi’s first time speaking on a big stage.
Luckily, her love for talking meant she didn’t feel nervous as she addressed the audience.
“I talk so much, even in my sleep, so I think my brain likes talking. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.
“I was more nervous about my loose shoe coming off on stage,” she joked.
Fun fact - the male version of this record belongs to Bennett Haried (USA), who was aged 4 years 296 days when he gave a TEDx talk about kids being able to “dream the impossible” and persist through challenges.
What would be the topic of your TEDx talk?
Speaking about how she learnt to express her emotions in her paintings, Anvi said: “Every time I felt happy, angry or bored, I’d just paint it out and my mum would say, “This is your superpower!”
“Now when I’m upset or super-duper happy, I draw or write. It’s like my crayon listens better than some grown-ups at times.”
We asked Anvi what it feels like to have achieved two GWR titles and she gave us the greatest answer…
“It feels like eating 2 ice creams at once - amazing and sweet!”
Ice cream is the best!
If you would like to break a record (or two!) like Anvi, here are her top tips: “No screen time (okay, maybe a little), follow your heart, and believe in yourself, even when your drawing looks like a banana but you meant to draw a dog.”
Congratulations, Anvi, you are Officially Amazing!