Debut You is an interview feature on Our Stories Matter blog. Debut authors, who have released or have upcoming releases in 2022, are given five questions to answer about themselves and their book. Currently, the questions are the same for all authors. We hope you enjoy getting to know Laura Obuobi and can offer your support. Go here for past Debut You features.
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Describe yourself in five words, then expound on one of them.
Calm, cautious, introspective, strong, and quiet.
Introspective. Being introspective reminds me to move through the world with intention. I try to draw on this in my writing as well. As it relates to picture books, being introspective means tapping into my inner child, and writing from or through a child’s emotional, intellectual, and psychological lens. Being introspective reminds me to see the world of the story through the child’s eyes. Being introspective in my writing means teasing out the adult voice so that I am writing to the child and not at the child. Finally, being introspective in my writing pushes me to think about why I am writing a particular story and what themes I want the story to carry and evoke.
Explain your book’s journey—how long did it take—from idea to publication?
I wrote Black Gold in the fall of 2018 and revised it on my own for a few months. Later, I registered for the Kweli Conference in the spring of 2019 and signed up for an industry expert to look at the manuscript to see how else I could improve it. She offered great feedback, and I was encouraged to begin querying with it. I signed with an agent that same year in the fall of 2019, and we found a publisher (HarperCollins Children) shortly afterward.
Belief in oneself is important; besides you, who has been your cheerleader(s) throughout this process?
I have had a lot of support throughout my writing and publishing journey, and for Black Gold: friends; family; London Ladd, the amazing and talented illustrator for Black Gold; Maria, my wonderful literary agent; and the entire editorial team at HarperCollins Children; have all been very excited for Black Gold. London, Maria, and the entire editorial team have invested time and poured their heart, creativity, intellectual, and emotional support behind me and into this book. Black Gold is very much their book, too, and I am very grateful for them all. Writing is very much a solo process, so it always helps to have people who see you and people who see the meaning and intention behind your work and can support you to make it successful.
Understanding your audience is essential. What do you know for sure about the audience you are writing for?
I think that young children are often honest with their feelings and their thoughts about the world. They are playful, love to explore, and can be funny and whimsical in an eye-opening manner. I try to draw on these characteristics when I am drafting a picture book. One successful way to express some of these characteristics in a picture book is to notice how children move in the world, notice what their universal needs and wants are, how they express themselves verbally and non-verbally, and how they seek to acquire or achieve goals associated with some of the universal needs of children.
Tell us about your book.
Black Gold is a poetic picture book that celebrates Black children. Although written for Black children, anyone (adults included) can connect to its message of empowerment and affirmation.
YOU did it, congratulations! Your story is going to be read by children or teens, educators, parents, librarians, book bloggers, etc. How do you feel, and are there any other projects in the works—that you can discuss?
I am excited for the release of Black Gold and for many people to get it in their hands and onto their bookshelves. I have two more picture books in process: What Love Looks Like, illustrated by Anna Cunha (2024), and Becoming a Ballerina: The Story of Michaela DePrince (illustrator to be determined).
Black Gold
London Ladd | HarperCollins Children | October 11, 2022 | PB | 40 Pages | Amazon | Bookshop
Laura Obuobi was born and raised in Accra, Ghana, but has been living in the United States since 2003. She has loved books ever since her daddy taught her to read. Libraries, bookstores, in fact, any ‘bookish space’ is Laura’s happy place 🙂. She is fascinated by pre-colonial West African history and how it connects with the Black diaspora and Black history. Laura loves to explore these themes, elements, and cultural connections in her stories. Laura received an MA in Early Childhood Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, and taught for eight years as a preschool teacher. Her time in the classroom with preschoolers set the stage for her transition into writing for children. Laura graduated from the Writing for Children and Young Adults program at Vermont College of Fine Arts.
Connect with Laura Obuobi: Website | Instagram
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