Interview with Author Jordan Ifueko

 

Welcome Back, Booklovers!

I'm continuing my interview series by introducing you to a debut author. I've already read and reviewed her book Raybearer earlier this year. It was one of my five star reads and an absolute gem after a series of disappointing reads. I had been picking up every African inspired YA fantasy released recently and this stood out to me. It did end up getting pushed back because of lockdown so I'm glad this book is finally being released to the rest of the world. I was lucky enough to do an interview with Jordan Ifueko in time for Raybearer's release as apart of the Raybearer blog tour.

Congratulations on your upcoming debut during this time of uncertainty and unrest. How would Tarasai tackle surviving a pandemic?

Thank you! Tarisai would initially sit anxiously on her hands in a bunker with her council siblings, trying to convince herself she isn’t supposed to take charge of the situation. Then her frustration at how the pandemic is being handled would boil over. She would eventually  start a local coup, perhaps committing some light treason to upend the government powers that be and replace them with something that actually saves lives.

What research did you do when writing Raybearer? And how did your culture specifically inspire this story?

Raybearer is the sum of all my cultural and personal influences! I sourced folktales and customs from my West African parents and extended family, and incorporated their storytelling styles and even some of their childhood games. I did plenty of academic research as well. When it comes to academic sources on pre-colonial African, the trouble is always finding sources that aren’t from a racist lens. I also had fun reading up on the myriad of other cultures that inspire Raybearer, which range from Joseon period Korea to Bedouin travel caravans.

Since your story is West African inspired did you feel a pressure to include certain elements like the actual Orisha god system in your story?

I actually felt fairly free to craft my own religious systems in Raybearer, since there’s a lot of religious and cultural diversity in West Africa and always has been! In general however, there is a pressure to over-emphasize one’s Blackness or Africanness in stories because it makes one’s work easier to categorize from a white publisher’s perspective, and I did hate that. Many authors from minority groups are expected to make their stories into veiled educational primers for outsiders to learn about their cultural background, and that isn’t fair--we should be free both and represent ourselves and to let our imaginations run wild. In any case, I am, like most people, a blend of many cultural influences, and had to work against pressure to put myself in a box.

The Lady is a very multifaceted character. I’m not sure whether to feel sorry for her or root for her. What was the inspiration behind her character?

The Lady shows what happens when a marginalized person tries to empower themselves by mimicking the oppressive system that marginalized them in the first place, rather than dismantling the system itself. The sad thing is, she started off very innocent, but trauma whittled away her values to little more than a sense of self-preservation. The Lady has a deep, deep capacity for love, but it’s wrapped up in this fear of intimacy that keeps getting in her way. She becomes strikingly like the person she’s trying to take down, which often happens when we act of hurt and fear.

I thought you showcased love in a very refreshing way. Did you ever feel like you had to write a big romance since YA fantasy often features star-crossed couples and love triangles?

This is a funny question, because I absolutely tried to fit into that mold when I first wrote RAYBEARER! I tried to force a love triangle in early, early drafts and couldn’t figure out why it wasn’t working. Then I realized that what drew two certain people together had nothing to do with romantic bonds, and I was doing a disservice to just how earthshaking friendships can be.

Were you able to listen to the audiobook yet?

I have almost finished both the US and UK audiobooks! The readers, Joniece Abbot-Pratt and Weruche Opia, both did a fantastic job.

Who are some of your favorite Black authors?

N.K Jemisin, Chimimanda Ngozi Achidie, Angie Thomas, and Kwame Mbalia all have work I’ve loved to revisit over and over again.

Follow Jordan on Twitter @jifueko and buy her book!