Sope Martins is the author of the new children's picture book Hairstory. Her other books include The African Princess. She is also a radio broadcaster, and is based in Lagos, Nigeria.
Q: What inspired you to write Hairstory?
A: My personal hair story prompted me to write this book. For so long, I struggled with my hair, trying to make it conform to a beauty standard that wasn’t mine.
It took a painful hair disaster for me to go natural and begin the journey to loving my hair. In taking care of my hair, I grew curious about hair and why we tie it so tightly to our identity.
Q: What do you think Briana Mukodiri Uchendu's illustrations add to the book?
A: I once heard someone say that we read pictures before we read words. The exact wording escapes me, but the idea has stayed firm.
This book would not be what it is without Briana’s illustrations. Her illustrations give the manuscript a beating heart. They deepen and expand the text, and invite the reader in. And of course, they’re stunning!
Q: How did you research the book, and did you learn anything that especially surprised you?
A: Oh yes, I put in some research hours for this. I started off just discussing this with family and friends, getting their hair stories and thoughts.
From there, I widened the scope, reading books and journal articles, and watching documentaries. I wanted to understand how people relate to their hair, and what kind of thinking connects us through it.
One thing that surprised me was how many common threads appeared across different tribes. Africa is often monolithised in Western perspectives, but there’s such a wealth of cultural variation.
And yet, even as different as we are from region to region and tribe to tribe, we share so many similarities!
Q: The Publishers Weekly review of the book called it “an insightful, visually stunning exploration of African hair...” What do you think of that description?
A: I’m absolutely honoured by it. I hope people see the balance of insight with care, and beauty with substance.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: In terms of picture books, I’ve been exploring humour with a new manuscript I’m working on, which is a fun fish-out-of-water scenario. It requires a much different approach than nonfiction, which is what I’m most used to, and that challenge has been refreshing. It’s been a genuinely fun experience!
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: There’s history and hidden stories everywhere you look. Everything came from somewhere, and everything has a story. What have you seen or used a thousand times that you’ve never thought about? Take a moment to discover it anew.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
No comments:
Post a Comment