The father of a teenage Muslim girl hopes her nomination for national story-writing award will show the positive contribution her generation can make to society.

Hibah Seedat, of Melville Road, Walthamstow, says she is “over the moon” about her story being shortlisted for the Young Muslim Writer Awards 2016.

Her story, titled The Captivation, is based on an African boy who is kidnapped by pirates and sold to an American family.

The 16-year-old, who is in Year 11 at Tayyibah Girls’ School in Hackney, said: “I have been writing stories since I was really small and I took inspiration from the books I read about ancient civilization and history.

“I like to take stories about historical events and put my own twist on them.

“I was really shocked when I got nominated because I wasn’t expecting it.

“My teachers seem to be impressed and I am over the moon about being nominated.”

The teenager, who works as a trainee lifeguard at Walthamstow College, plans to study maths and sciences at university in the future.

Her father, Najib Seedat, said he believes his daughter can show the positive contribution Muslim women can make to today’s multi-cultural society.

He said: “Being a Muslim and a female I believe she can also break down stereotypes in today’s society.

“I think it is all about the fact that her generation can find ways to contribute because their roots are here in this country.

“I am quite hopeful that she can show that we can work together and that she will break down barriers.

“I cannot sway two words together but she is always reading and she is great at writing stories and I am proud of Hibah.”