Ashleen, at the age of 11, published a book to raise money for the impoverished in India.

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Ashleen Khela is one of Australia’s youngest female published authors.
The NSW government has commended her for self-funding her book publishing through innovative efforts such as recycling bottles and selling backyard plants.
She also donated the proceeds from her book sales to support various charitable causes.

Ashleen, this year’s recipient of the Young Citizen of the Year award, is currently working on her third book.

The announced the award for her stating that she was ‘one of Australia’s youngest-ever female published authors’ who self-funded her book publishing through creative efforts like recycling bottles, selling backyard plants, and using her savings.

She was just 11 years old when she released her first book of fiction, 17 Stories.

Her first published book and her second one, Journey Through Her Jersey, are both drawn from her personal experiences.

Ashleen Khela has enjoyed writing since she was four. Credit: Amarjit Khela

Her first book focused on social injustice, particularly the struggles faced by underprivileged children living in slums in India, while her second book addressed women’s empowerment, aiming to raise awareness about gender inequality.

Early love of writing

According to Ashleen’s father, Amarjit Singh, her passion for writing was sparked when she was just four years old.

“I was writing in Punjabi, and one day, she found a book with my picture on it. She was so intrigued and, with childlike wonder, asked me if she could ever have her picture on a book like mine,” Singh said.

Her parents, recognising her growing interest in words and letters, encouraged her to read books at a local library.

Ashleen Khela and her family live in New South Wales. Credit: Amarjit Khela

“We live in (an extended) family here, and me, my father and brother love to read books. This is what she grew up seeing, so it naturally became a habit for her,” he added.

“We make it a priority to visit India each year to stay connected to our roots. I believe it’s essential for building a strong bond with our culture and history.”

Australia Day Honour_Veena Sahajwalla AO image

Ashleen began writing her first book during the long COVID-19 lockdown after witnessing the struggles of underprivileged children in India.

“During (the) COVID (pandemic), when I had plenty of free time, I started writing but kept it a secret from my parents until I had finished 17 Stories,” she said.

Ashleen takes a photo with a group of children in India. Credit: Amarjit Khela

“But it all began with an incident during a visit to Punjab with my family. I saw many underprivileged children living in slums of rural Punjab.

“My heart melted seeing them. I just wanted to do something to help. So that day I decided to give bananas to them.”

After distributing over 200 bananas, Ashleen felt compelled to do more and realised that writing could be her way of making a difference.

Ashleen Khela has published two books. Credit: Amarjit Khela

“I thought, maybe I can write a book to help them. It just struck me, and I knew exactly what I needed to do to make an impact,” she said.

Raising funds

Ashleen said she decided to fund her book project independently, so she raised money by .

“I didn’t use my parents’ money to publish my book. I raised the funds by collecting recycling waste for nearly two years,” she said.

Ashleen Khela sitting with a group of kids in India. Credit: Amarjit Khela

She also contributed to charity, with the proceeds from her book sales dedicated to supporting various charitable causes.

“All proceeds from my book benefit the Cancer Council of Australia, the Starlight Children’s Foundation, and underprivileged children globally. I also donated copies to over 180 libraries across Australia,” she said.

Recently, Ashleen has been receiving praise for her visit to India, where she donated laptops, tracksuits, cash, and books to underprivileged children.

“My parents have played an important role in keeping my Indian roots alive and I now want to contribute more by writing more books,” she said.

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