Interview with Author Namina Forna

Welcome Back, Booklovers

I'm back with another one! You all have been responding so well to these these author interviews and demanding more.  So I'm bringing you another author debuting a YA Fantasy. Her book, Gilded, at this time is scheduled to release February 9, 2021.  You can follow her @naminaforna on Twitter and @namina.forna on Instagram.

What was it like growing up in Sierra Leone?

Oh my goodness, you’re the first person to ever ask this question! Growing up in Sierra Leone was weird. On one hand, it was a golden time. Freetown, the capital, is very small and everybody knew everybody. It was very neighborly. And I had a lot of privilege. My father was a member of parliament, so I went to private schools, had a chauffeur, the whole nine yards. 

On the other hand, it was dangerous. I remember the coup by Valentine Strasser. He was this young soldier who became the youngest Head of State in the world when he took over the government in 1992. That was a difficult time. There was a curfew and this strange tension always lingered in the air. I remember one day I took a nap in the guest house and woke up to chaos and people crying because they thought I’d been taken. Then there were all the disappearances. I have trouble recalling people now because so many of my relatives and family friends disappeared during this time. Only when I watched a CNN report on the Sierra Leonean war years later did I understand what had happened. 

Since the release of Black Panther we’ve seen more interest in publishing in African based fantasy stories. Do you think that helped sell your series? And how do you deal with the comparisons to other African authors?

I think Black Panther definitely paved the way for The Gilded Ones. I wrote TGO around 2012, well before the black fantasy wave, and back then, I couldn’t sell it. The prevailing idea was that black girls don’t sell books, not to speak of black authors. I was actually considering using a pen name to disguise myself. Then I saw the reception Black Panther was getting, and knew the time was right. I did a page one rewrite in a month and a half.

What cultures inspired you when writing Gilded?

West Africa--particularly Sierra Leone and Nigeria, which are the two countries my family comes from. Also, America. The Gilded Ones is basically a screed against purity culture in all its facets, and America is kind of number one when it comes to that. 

Were you able to have any say in the cover design?

A little. This was the second cover for the book, and I think it’s perfect. The artist, Tara Josu is a master. I think the only note I had was that a tiny zipper-like thing be taken off Deka’s outfit. Otherwise, it was all Tara and my American editor, Kelsey. They put their heads together and created a masterpiece.

You’re a Spelman graduate. How did Spelman help shape you as a writer?

Spelman was fundamental to my growth as a writer, because it was there I was exposed to feminist concepts and theory. Not only that, Spelman taught me to engage with material on multiple layers. And that’s how I approached The Gilded Ones. When I was crafting the world, I thought, how do I explain the patriarchy? What factors contribute to it? What factors uphold it? And I went in with that in mind.

All of that comes from Spelman.

How is screenwriting different from novel writing?

Screenwriting is more precise. In a novel, you have all this space to craft a world and characters, and you can basically meander, if you want. With a screenplay, you have max, 122 pages, and you have to hit certain beats at certain pages or your story doesn’t move in the best way. 

Plotting-wise, screenwriting is more difficult, but the actual writing of it is definitely easier, because once you’ve got the structure down, you can breeze through.

What was your #DVPit experience like?

It was one of the most surreal and delightful experiences of my life. Before, I was used to rejection after rejection, but during #DVPit, the agents were courting me instead of vice versa. Best of all, I met my agent, Alice Sutherland-Hawes. She liked my pitch on a Wednesday, and by Saturday, we were talking representation. 

My E-Galley alongside another fantasy to pick up

What is your writing process like?

Typically, I get my ideas from dreams. Once I wake up, I immediately write the idea down, then I talk it over with friends, agents, etc., to make sure it’s original and marketable. Not every idea is, and you have to know which ones to toss away and which ones to keep. When I came up with The Gilded Ones, for instance, it wasn’t marketable, but I knew it was an original idea, so I kept it, and waited until the time was right.

Once I’ve ensured an idea is good, I begin my research, which takes about a year. I do this passively, while I’m working on other projects. At the end of the research process, I finesse my story and write down an outline. From there, I go to pages. I try to write ten pages every morning before breakfast. If everything is good, and my schedule is okay, I usually finish a book or a new work every three, four months or so.

What should a Black writer querying look for in an agent?

If the agent has a Twitter, I would suggest scrolling through their tweets, first thing. Yes, agent and client is a business relationship, but that business is creativity, and having the wrong type of agent can have you doubting yourself, and your stories for years. 

I love my agent, Alice. I’d been burned before, so when we had our call, I told her exactly what I wanted, and made sure that her vision for me aligned with mine. Because at the end of the day, you chose what type of career you want, so sit down and write the things that are important to you, and ensure that the person who’s going out to make them a reality is on your side and not subtly undermining you, which is a reality in this industry. 

How did you feel when you were called “The Toni Morrison of YA Fantasy”  by Refinery29 last year?

While I was very honored by the comparison (I love, love, love Toni Morrison), I feel like there can only ever be one Toni Morrison. Just like there can only be one Octavia Butler, Maya Angelou, etc. What I hope is that eventually, I can be the one and only Namina Forna. And that I can join a cohort of black writers who pave the way for others.

Have you started working on that Black mermaid fantasy yet?

Yes! I have the world already mapped out. All I have to do now is put pen to paper--or rather, fingers to keyboard. I’m so excited for you guys to see it. 

Any other great books releasing this year you want to shout out?

Of course! On June 2, A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne Brown, You Should See Me In a Crown by Leah Johnson, and A Song Below Water by Bethany Morrow were released. Evil spirits, mid-western prom shenanigans, black women with powerful voices--what more can you want?

There were also some amazing books that came out earlier this year. The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow, The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar, and Felix Ever After by Kacen Callendar. I had the chance to read The Henna Wars before it got agented, and I’m always excited by that.

Later in this year, be on the lookout for Raybearer, by Jordan Ifueko and Legendborn by Tracy Deonn. They’re going to be what? Legend-ary!