I am Delis Akanova, a writer and journalist from Kazakhstan. Born and raised at the intersection of two cultures, Kazakh and Russian, I have always thought of myself as a global citizen. From an early age I’ve dreamt about travelling, even though I couldn’t properly pronounce half of the world’s countries. Apart from my passion for seeing the world, I have always been into writing. Whether it was scribbling awkward fairy tales full of grammatical errors in my small notebooks or typing out essays for school competitions, writing had always somehow been a part of my life.

As I navigated high school, I started crafting short fiction stories for my friends, and even though they were nothing like Harry Potter or Twilight books, I still prided myself in them. Slowly, I found myself immersed in a world where writing wasn’t just words on paper but a tool for creating different universes and stories.

Meanwhile, I hadn’t given up on my dream of seeing the world and was actively learning French to get into a university there. As a symbol of my determination, I even put an Eiffel Tower on the wall in my room. However, neither the wallpaper nor my B2 level in French helped me get into a university in France. My hopes and dreams shattered, and I had to apply to a local institution instead, forcing my big plans into a small box. In moments like these, writing became an immense outlet for my emotions, and journaling helped me not to completely give up on myself.

However, as it often does, everything worked out, and soon I was studying at an Italian university in the heart of Rome, a city that has earned a special place in my heart. Moreover, I didn’t even need to put on a picture of the Colosseum on my wall to get in. There I pursued a degree in Global Humanities, which combined many of my passions, such as international relations, law, history, and cultural studies, including a fair share of academic writing.

During my studies there, writing opened up to me from a new perspective, not just as a creative outlet, but also as a tool for stating your opinion and fighting for things that matter. Thus, I wrote a thesis that explored the representation of a marginalized community in contemporary Japanese literature, tackling the matters of social inequality, human rights, and a written word. This project taught me how to use writing not just for storytelling, but also for advocacy.

My academic journey taught me to tackle various topics such as politics, science, and culture, while growing up with a designer sister equipped me with enough knowledge to write about the world of fashion and beauty. Trips I took through Europe broadened my perspective and inspired me not only to see the wonders the world holds but also to share them with others. My personal blog on Substack has become an outlet for many of my passions, including my small obsession with biology, which inspires me to write about health and wellness topics.

Apart from traveling the world, writing articles on skincare advice, or navigating the crisis of early twenties, I am constantly generating ideas for a fiction story that I plan on turning into a book. At the same time, I also juggle the responsibilities of working a full-time job and running my own educational consultancy, where I help other students from Kazakhstan to apply to Italian universities. It’s a busy life, but I thrive in this combination of creativity, mentorship, and connection. My goal is to see my name adorning the titles of various magazines and printed on the book covers. In my writing journey, I aim to inspire other writers, especially those for whom English isn’t a first language, to embrace their passions and bring change into the world with their words.