Writing For My Younger Self

By Tọlá Okogwu | Guest Blog

A question I often get asked is, ‘what inspires you to write?’ My answer is always this…

I write for my younger self. By that, I mean that I write the books I wish I’d had when I was younger.

I love books and I love reading. So much so, that both my daughters had library cards by the time they were six months old. I still remember my favourite books when I was a child and the one that had the greatest impact on me was The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

I was introduced to this book during a particularly difficult time in my life. My family had just moved to the UK from Nigeria and I was feeling very lost and helpless. Then I met the Pevensies. Four siblings yanked from their familiar world through no fault of their own and thrust into an adventure that would change the course of their lives forever. It was the first time I felt seen in a book and I fell head-over-heels in love with Narnia and the many characters that inhabited it. In fact, I still cannot see a wooden wardrobe without wanting to check to see if there is a secret doorway in the back.

But as much as I loved this book, there was still something missing in my reading experiences and I devoured many, many books looking for this elusive thing. It wasn’t until much later that I realised just what it was. In all the books I read growing up, I never once saw a character that looked like me feature as the hero.

So now, a big part of writing for my younger self involves putting Black characters front and centre. They are fighting the bad guys, having epic adventures, living joyfully and learning valuable life lessons along the way. The main character in my Onyeka series is a fantastic example of this. Onyeka is a young girl who discovers that the thing she considers a weakness is actually the source of her greatest strength. Her story is about finding your tribe. It’s also about accepting what makes you different and owning the power that gives you. A truth I believe is universal no matter who you are or where you come from.

Onyeka and the Heroes of the Dawn by Tolá Okogwu is now available from all good bookshops.