I think that in the United States, things are sanitized. So I grew up very fearful, and always grew up with that understanding of the evil that people can do. Because when things are happening to your family members, you hear it, you know it, you see it, and you feel it in your bones. But that didn’t mean I didn’t see things out the corner of my eye, or that I didn’t have an understanding. And what I mean by that, is that violence was always sort of there - but I was shielded from it. I think I grew up with an expectation of violence. How did your upbringing inform your writing and how you saw the world? You mention growing up in Sierra Leone during an unimaginably difficult time. I could either be crazy, or I could be a writer. And so when I was growing older and trying to decide what to do, I realized: I have all these stories in my head. And you know, I grew up in Sierra Leone, and I grew up during the civil war, so reading was my escape. And I would read like eight books a week, every single week. When I was a kid, I was the type who would read, like, all the time, every day. I think I’ve always been a writerly person. I’m just happy! What first sparked your inspiration to become a writer? I was also like “Trump didn’t ruin my day!” because I was worried about that too, you know. And after this long journey, it’s more like a sense of relief. I’m so happy and excited with the way that things have been going. Is that the expression? I’m on cloud nine. A feminist fantasy steeped in African mythology, The Gilded Ones follows Deka, a teenage girl who finds her life changed in unimaginable ways when, during a blood ceremony for acceptance into her village, her blood runs gold, and she is ostracized from her village -but given new life as an Alaki, a near-immortal warrior for the Emperor.įirstly: congrats on The Gilded Ones publishing! How have you been feeling about everything? Namina Forna is one such author whose debut novel, The Gilded Ones, has been a highly anticipated read (both on my personal reading list, and in the larger booksphere) for about 2 years. And these stories and books only continue to open wide the door for others to share their perspectives, and see themselves as the hero. It’s a truly notable thing, because as we’ve said time and time again, representation matters. What I’ve found so beautiful about this evolution of storytelling is the number of readers, both young and old, who have been able to see themselves centered at the core of the story for the first time. YA Fantasy has for the past few years been experiencing a beautiful Renaissance of diverse, imaginative, and truly groundbreaking stories.
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