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Three groups of students enjoyed a lively and thought-provoking session with Maria Montunrayo Adebisi, author of Koku Akanbi and the Heart of Midnight. 

Maria talked about her journey from school to university to social media management before fulfilling her dream of becoming a published author.  

Her novel is a thrilling tale of ancient, magical tribes, dangerous demons and vengeful mermaids set in an imaginary country in West Africa. It is also a tale of the friendship between three young people with very different superpowers. From the cover of the book, students guessed rightly that themes of fantasy, quests, danger, magic and horror are involved.  

Maria introduced students to Afrofuturism — a movement that combines science-fiction, history and fantasy to explore the African heritage experience through art, literature, cinema, music, fashion etc. The focus is on works that create a vision of a technologically advanced and optimistic future for Black people and instil a sense of pride.  

Let’s hear from Maria’s audience: 

‘I really liked it; I liked listening to her journey and how she started and learning about new cultures. I think we should do this more often. I also liked how she let us ask questions and how genuine she was about it.’ Isil, 7MH 

‘I very much enjoyed this session. It expanded my learning and understanding of Afrofuturism and the mythical legends within it. The interactive nature of the session was amazing, and I loved getting to ask and answer questions.’ Kenya, 7LF 

‘I really enjoyed the session; it was a fun way to learn about the world of both real life and fiction! I learnt new things about the world that I never knew before!’ Anahi, 7MH 

‘In a book, normally the boys are the heroes and the important ones, but in this book the girls are the strong ones who takes care of the boy, and this shows a sense of girlpower. Misha, 7MH