Àlàbá Ònájìn is the author and illustrator of the new middle grade graphic novel Koroba: The Case of the Missing Kolo. His other books include Oh No, Ojo!. He is originally from Nigeria and now lives in England.
Q: What inspired you to create Koroba: The Case of the Missing Kolo?
A: Growing up, I couldn't get enough of book series like Enid Blyton's Famous Five, Carolyn Keene's Nancy Drew and Herge's The Adventures of Tintin.
I loved the adventures and mysteries that these wonderful inspiring protagonists solve but as much as I loved the settings for these books, I always imagined such adventures happening in my home country, Nigeria.
Q: The novel is set in a Nigerian fishing village--how important is setting to you in your work?
A: Koroba lives in Makoko, a real fishing village located on the coast of mainland Lagos state, Nigeria, and I have always been fascinated by the community living in wooden houses supported by stilts, with boardwalks and paddling canoes to move about, thriving on their fishing trade.
They are not rich or have the best amenities to make their survival easier, but they make the most of what they have to get by and take their fishing trade very seriously.
The children live their everyday lives, go to school, and help their parents with great enthusiasm, and these are very fascinating and inspiring to me. I have always wanted to tell their story and the idea from Koroba came from that.
Q: Did you work on the text first or the art first--or both simultaneously?
A: The text always comes first. I would normally work out the plot and once all the narrative pieces fall into place, I start to develop the script, tighten all loose ends, and perfect it before I move to the art.
Q: The Booklist review of the book says, “Key cultural details are woven seamlessly into the excitement, suspense, and revelations of a cracking good mystery, complete with all the clues a deductive reader might need.” What do you think of that description?
A: The Booklist review is very spot on. I love when reviews and readers point out such elements in my work because I am not just writing a mystery story, I am also educating readers on the unique cultural aspects of my home country so readers can not only enjoy the mysteries but also learn something about a world they may not know much about.
Q: This is the first in a series--can you tell us what's next?
A: I am currently working on Book 2 of Koroba's adventures, tentatively titled Koroba and The Broken Masterpiece. Book 2 further showcases life in the community, focused on what going to school is like for kids in that part of the world, and it’s equally a fun read like the first book.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: Koroba is a story I started developing about 14 years ago and it has gone through many changes to arrive at the perfect idea I have today, and it has been fun developing this mystery series set in West Africa.
I am finally happy that children in other parts of the world can read, enjoy and learn about what it's like to grow up in my part of the world.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
No comments:
Post a Comment