ATINUKE

Do you have a sense that your stories are helping restore dignity for young readers?

I truly hope so! I spent my childhood thinking that books could only be written about white children – because those were the only books I could find – and that hurt! It made me feel less important than white children. When I read my first book with Black characters it was like a revolution in my head! It was so empowering and affirming – and it filled me with a sense of pride. I had had to wait until I was seventeen for that moment. I hope that my books mean that lots of children now don’t have to wait that long!