Authors of Colour is passionate about highlighting books that represent the lives of underrepresented communities. So over the past month we were delighted to get in contact with Nana Pierre, one half of the sibling duo who created our new favourite children's book 'A is for Accra'.
Having fallen in love with the concept, we asked Nana Pierre about the importance of diversifying children's literature and why she created a book dedicated to her heritage. Here is what she had to say:
"I write the books I want to read, books that my children can see themselves in and the books I wish existed when I was a young girl. Visual storytelling has always come more naturally to me, however, I feel a good storyteller can blur the boundaries of their craft, be it through writing, imagery, film or art.
My view points are heavily shaped by my family and the Pan African values I cultivated in school while living in Ghana. My perspectives are important and under-represented. I have two strands of work: Children's books and adult fiction. My first book, co-produced with my brother Ekow, A is for Accra, has been a great platform for both of us. We've sold thousands of copies in Ghana and hundreds more around the world.
I nearly gave up on writing adult fiction all together, but the first draft of my debut novel was long listed for the Mslexia Novel Prize 2019. So I've dusted off the manuscript and I'm slowly editing it, while working on the next picture book. It's hard to find the time, while raising my young family, but I'm committed to telling those stories however long they take."
If you would like to get yourself a copy of 'A is for Accra', checkout their website and/or Amazon bookstore and let us know what you think about this amazing book!