“I can begin with an idea. But I don’t start until I feel like I know the people; you know, I feel like I have a person that I’m interested in and that I can get to know over the
period of a few years,” said Adebayo, later adding: “And sometimes, what that looks like is that I sit with them and ask them questions, you know — about their lives, about what they’re interested in, about what their aspirations are.”
Equally important, we agreed, is to keep the dialogue and cultural exchange open between Black Americans and those on the continent — a “transatlantic conversation,” as Adebayo and I phrased it. Thankfully, the rising recognition of African writers and narratives based in African countries is laying the groundwork for a better understanding of people and cultures that parallel our own more closely than may we think.
Hear more about “A Spell of Good Things” and Ayobami Adebayo in this week’s episode of “Writing Black” on TheGrio’s Black Podcast Network or anywhere you listen to podcasts.