What was your inspiration behind your most recent book?
The 90s and 2000s teen films. I wanted to capture the fun, the mess, the cheese, the vibrance, the “this-is-the-beginning-and-end-of-the-world” nature of those stories, while grounding it with the many varied experiences of Black girlhood. I just wanted to have fun, those films always gave me that, so I leaned into it when building this story.
What does "Reading Rainbow" mean to you?
By its very nature, reading is an exercise in empathy. It offers the reader a gateway into the infinity of human experiences. That’s pretty beautiful.
Why do you feel representation of a variety of people is so important when it comes to writing books?
Because it’s real. There’s so much abundance that comes from representation. We get to see into all kinds of people’s lives. But we also get to see the realities that can be possible for us. I hope we continue to have more and more stories told.
Tell us a little more about the book and why you decided to write it.
I wrote "Everyone’s Thinking It" in 2020 while I was at university. As such, a huge part of writing the book was creating a fun escape from the real world and everything happening in it. As I developed the idea, it naturally became infused with themes that I wanted to delve into around Black girlhood, desirability, colourism and misogynoir. Through Iyanu and Kitan’s journey back to each other, I was able to find community in the isolation.
What can fans expect from your book?
Fun. I wanted to explore a lot of different themes in this story, but it was important to me to do so without it being traumatic for the reader. So, I hope readers find a fun and enjoyable read, as well as a heart-warming one.
What's up next for you in the bookish world?
More stories about Black girlhood in all walks of life. I hope one day to write about all kinds of experiences and worlds that celebrate Black girlhood.
