Rewriting history with ‘The Book of Black Royalty’
“SLAVERY ISN’T Africa’s story – it interrupts Africa’s story.” This inspired Ibrahim Konteh to rewrite history with The Book of Black Royalty. Flair had a one-on-one chat with the author who revealed his passion for the written word.
According to Konteh, he left high school frustrated that the curriculum only explored slavery and European history, and didn’t dive into the heart of African history.
The father of two explained that he was also influenced by his children to change the narrative out there, so that the next generation will have the opportunity to know that their origins actually stem from black kings and queens who once ruled the world. The lyrics of reggae artiste Chronixx’s hit, Eternal Fire further empowered him to put thought into affirmative action. “This is a great
and powerful story that needed to be told, especially to children,” he added.
The book took a year and a half to complete, from thought to end product. And the writing style, he describes, strikes a balance between descriptive and narrative, selling the authentic story of our ancestors.
Working alongside co-author
Kwame Gayle, the dynamic duo set sail on their ‘write’ of passage, so to speak, making the unimaginable possible. Persons can definitely relate to it because they will be able to get that sense of belonging from the lives of their forefathers.
The subject matter wasn’t an innate interest for Konteh, who
disclosed that the initiative just happened, developing over time from observation, experience, and a grand idea. “Having gone through the process, it is a passion of mine now and it’s something that I would like to continue, whether it is writing a second edition or sharing other stories about our history and our heritage.”
Finding a good illustrator was one thing, but publishing was a different story altogether. Opting to shy away from the publishing house, Konteh had to learn a lot about the process on his own as a self-publisher, employing extensive research as he went along, paired with assistance from friends and family. There were a few hiccups, namely missed deadlines, which caused a few delays, but he believed that it was better to have the best finished product than to rush the journey.
Since publishing, the feedback so far, he noted, has been really good. People, he said, have expressed sheer excitement about the innovation, saying that this book is important and admitting that they hadn’t given much thought to this side of royalty before this penned awakening. Based on the reception, there will be a follow-up to the book. “We developed characters and focused on the strongest of eight African royalties, based on the stories they were telling. So we can now expand that horizon to incorporate more greats from the continent and another book.”
His advice to aspiring authors is to just do it. If you have an idea, write it down and take your time: first version, second version, third version, just keep at it. “I encourage you to buy the book for a relative or a friend. It’s informative, engaging, and life-changing. Somebody just recently bought 15 copies to donate to his old school and that was truly heart-warming. It’s vital that we, as black people, know our history, the real history.”
So, if you want to appreciate at first-hand the rewriting of African history at its finest, The Book of Black Royalty can be found at all locations of Kingston Bookshop.
‘Having gone through the process, it is a passion of mine now and it’s something that I would like to continue, whether it is writing a second edition or sharing other stories about our history and our heritage.’