Working diligently from her Caithness home, Mirissa Efemey is researching, writing and producing the 14th edition of her very own magazine.
Harnessing home working and technology to keep her audience informed is an achievement in itself – but all the more impressive because Mirissa is only 11.
The precocious Thurso schoolgirl started M’s Art Magazine – an arts and crafts themed publication – in October 2016 and is now designing and printing a 32-page edition every month.
Among the pages of her latest release you’ll find a guide on how to make an owl key ring, instructions on how to draw a fox, fashion tips, “spot the difference” illustrations, a series of puzzles, a recipe for making custard cream biscuits and a fact box on one of the world’s most endangered animals, the Snow Leopard.
With the help of her father, Steve Efemey, she has created an editorial font based on her own hand-writing, giving an authentic yet professional appearance to her magazine, which has 26 subscribers.
And each of her editions includes a competition with prizes. The latest challenge is to design and make a Valentine’s Day card as part of her “everyone can draw” campaign. Readers are also encouraged to share photographs of everything from home pets to finished craft works based on her own written guides.
Mirissa, a primary seven pupil at Miller Academy School, said: “I am working on it every evening after school. Some days I don’t always have the time but it’s mostly every day – and I spend more time on it at weekends and in the holidays. I work from my dad’s computer in the living room or dining room.
“I take information and inspiration from other magazines and try to improve every edition. It is definitely improving every month.
“It’s great to see people making an effort and actually doing the things which are in the magazine.”
Mirissa’s mother, Julie Murray, says her daughter has been writing stories since the age of six and, aged eight, started up her own pet magazine called the “Woofster News” – a title which her Nanna thoroughly enjoyed.
The magazines are printed from the family home in Thurso’s George Street. Copies were free initially but her subscribers wanted to give her something towards it, so she now charges £2 to cover the cost of postage and printing.
Miss Murray said that her daughter reinvests her magazine money – and pocket money – into magazine supplies, adding: “She works really hard on this and it keeps getting better every month. I am so proud of her.”
