About the Author
Why these books?
I write historical romances inspired by fairytales set in pre-colonial Yorubaland, weaving our history, mythology, and folklore into swoonworthy love stories about fate, family, and finding home.
Where it began
A myth on a roadtrip
I distinctly remember being told the myth of Ikogosi while on a roadtrip of Yorubaland when I was younger. It was one of many tales and adages my family sprinkled throughout my childhood. To my disappointment, even in my community, people are not as well acquainted with Yoruba folklore as Greek or Roman. When considering how to preserve and pass on this culture, fiction was the perfect solution. Our ancestors did it before with our folklore, so I suppose I was finding inspiration from the greats.
The stories we inherit
Meet-cutes and grandmothers
The summer before I set out to write, my grandmother fell ill and her memory dwindled. I spent time with her, asking all the questions I could — in particular, about love and how she met my grandfather. That experience inspired me to ask all my elders about their 'meet-cutes,' and A is for Amala: An Anthology was born. In writing this collection of nano-stories, I realised stories were imperative. Not just to preserve history and spread hope, but to offer comfort. I strive to write books people can hold when there is nobody to hold them. I hope my books offer happily ever after to women who romance as a genre largely reduces to the sidekick or the unworthy of wholesome love.
A note on representation
Everyone in their happily ever after
I'm rambling, which isn't very articulate for an author, and I should mention the diverse medical representation comes from my seemingly endless time in medical school and my firm belief that everyone deserves to see themself in a happily ever after.
The point of this page
Back to the point of this About Page — this time let me keep it succinct: if you want books set in pre-colonial Africa that promise yearning like Austen and Nollywood theatrics, you're absolutely in the correct place.
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