An avid reader of fantasy adventure and science fiction, Branton Li Yuk-pang, 11, has read more than 500 books - and just published his first one.
It wasn't easy. After three months of tapping away on his computer at home in the evenings, the former Pun Yu Association Wah Yan Primary School student wondered if it was really possible.
'That's when I asked my mum and dad if I could really publish a book,' says Branton, who lives in Mid-Levels. His parents encouraged him and said they would pay $30,000 to have 1,000 copies printed.
He was inspired, and after a year of hard work he is now a published author. His book, The Four Phoenixes, is on sale at Page One bookshops.
'It is an adventure mission through time,' says Branton. 'The hero is a secret agent named Koba Vir, sent to the dark ages to kill an evil warlord called Scaren. Along the way, he fights monsters and must defend himself from Scaren's assassins.'
Marketing professional and freelance writer Alicia Kwan says the book is 'exciting, well written and displays great knowledge in a range of subjects'. 'He has shown immense talent beyond his age,' she says.
With schoolwork and many tempting distractions, it's perhaps not surprising that there are few children of Branton's age who can claim to have published a 50,000-word novel. 'When I first started I could only write a few short paragraphs in about 30 minutes, but now I can write a whole A4 page in about 10 minutes and I can type very fast,' says Branton, who starts at Wah Yan College (Hong Kong) in September.