OUR PICK FOR 2022:
Meet the author of this ‘Sex And The City with a killer edge’ novel, now set to be on TV
What was the initial inspiration for Wahala?
The inspiration came from a long (and very loud) lunch with friends at a Nigerian restaurant in London. The conversation moved seamlessly from ankara fabric and blonde weaves to sourdough recipes and ski holidays. As I boarded the slow train home to Dorset, I thought about my two cultures – how they can exist so separately, until they collide.
I started writing and had written the first scene before I got to my stop.
How have you aimed to portray the intricacies of female friendship in your novel – both the good and the darker sides? I didn’t want to shy away from the complexity of female relationships. My characters are real (to me), which means they’re messy and flawed. You can be awful to the people you love and still love them. I drew on my own friendships, too. I’ve found that no matter how wrenching the drama, solace, if not solutions, can usually be found over a good meal.
How important is it to you seeing yourself reflected in literature? I wrote Wahala because I wanted to read a book with people like me in it – mixed-race and middle class. So many books about Black people are based on struggle, but that’s not a universal experience and it’s certainly not mine. Things are improving, but there’s a long way to go, particularly in the mainstream, where ‘we’ assume every character is white unless we are explicitly told otherwise.
Which books or authors have inspired you the most? I’ve read every Agatha Christie book at least twice. She’s an incredible entertainer and there’s so much to learn in her pages: brilliant plotting, economical writing, and a talent for portraying evil. My favourite books include Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel, We Were Liars by E Lockhart and Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid.
What is your top writing tip? Read. And then read some more. Reading is the best way to master writing. Read in your genre, read out of it. And if you get stuck, read something incredible to remind yourself why you’re doing this. Oh, and don’t write safe. Safe is boring.