Named one of TIME magazine’s 100 most influential people, Tomi Adeyemi is a Hugo and Nebula award winning Nigerian-American writer, model and storyteller based in New York, NY. After graduating from Harvard University with an honors degree in English literature, she studied West African mythology, religion, and culture in Salvador, Brazil.
Tomi’s ‘Legacy Of Orisha’ trilogy Is being developed into a feature film With Paramount Pictures with Gina Prince-Bythwood, director of The Woman King, set to direct. Tomi can be found teaching creative writing at www.thewritersroadmap.net. In 2020 she was named one of Forbes 30 under 30 in Media, and her website was named one of the 101 Best Websites for writers by Writers Digest.
Her first novel, Children of Blood and Bone, debuted at #1 on The New York Times Bestseller list & remained on the list for over 120 weeks. Its highly anticipated sequel, Children of Virtue and Vengeance, also debuted at #1 on the New York Times Bestseller list.
“Tomi Adeyemi has changed the YA landscape forever.” – Refinery29
Interview contains Book Spoilers!
WAB: Children Of Blood And Bone is the first in the Legacy Of Orisha trilogy, and your debut novel.
Adeyemi: The most important thing I learned about myself writing Children of Blood and Bone, Is how to put a beating heart into a story. I’ve been writing since I was a child, but Children Of Blood And Bone was the first time I Incorporated what was actually weighing on my soul into the narrative and character arcs of the story. It transformed my writing experience and has remained a key attribute In all of my novels. Each book meets me where I am in life.
WAB: The inspiration for this story came when you saw pictures of the Orisha, divine spirits in the Yoruba religion. Were there any elements of Yoruba culture That didn’t make it into the series that you’d still like to write about one day?
Adeyemi: No. Over the course of the trilogy, I really got to express everything that was creatively on my spirit about my native culture and spirituality. It was a very fulfilling journey in the books, and now it gets to continue in the movie adaptations.
WAB: There are such high stakes and emotions in this book, in addition to intricate world building and a magic system. Which was the most satisfying to write? Which did you find was the hardest to write?
Adeyemi: The romantic scenes and the scenes with the highest devastation. Those were the most cathartic for me to write. I think the hardest to write were the multiple perspectives the stories are told from. The characters are coming at the same conflict from such different perspectives, backgrounds, histories, dreams, desires, and traumas. Attempting to represent all of that equally for each main character was a very difficult feat.
WAB: In Amari and Inan’s chapters, we see their privilege at play, as well as the danger they represent to Zelie’s mission, {even when acting as allies}. Did you always know that you wanted to include their POV’s in the book, and why?
Adeyemi: I always knew Zelie and Inan were POV’s in this series, but Amari’s POV was actually created because I needed someone to see the scroll in the first book and get it to Zelie. It actually fascinates readers the most that Amari was the discovery for me in the novel.
WAB: Zelie losing her connection to magic is a painful and intense moment in the story. As a writer, how do you strike the balance of writing a book where the characters face tragedy and insurmountable odds without having the characters {or readers} lose hope?
Adeyemi: Something the director of the adaptation of Children Of Blood And Bone has shared with me and other readers is how she resonates with Zelie’s fighting spirit. she gets knocked down again, and again, and again, yet she always drags herself back to her feet and keeps swinging. I think this comes out in my story because it is my story, and when I meet my readers, a lot of them tell me that, that is their story too. Life doesn’t always feel balanced with the blows that it deals us, but the only way to even think about achieving balance after a setback is to get back up and fight.
WAB: Children Of Blood And Bone is being adapted into a movie, and you’re one of the screenwriters and executive producers! For readers not familiar, what do those roles entail?
Adeyemi: Yes! As the creator of the original story, my role entails ensuring the creative integrity of the adaptation, as well as assisting wherever and whenever I can in the 3 billion different roles that are involved in making a movie: rewriting the script, writing sides for auditions, talking to cast, carrying the perspective of the trilogy arc for the first film, brainstorming notes and solutions, sharing inspirations – it really is an all-encompassing role, and I am loving it.
WAB: What scene from this book are you most looking forward to seeing on screen?
Adeyemi: Amari and King Saran’s showdown! I have been dreaming of this moment. I cannot wait to see it come to life.
WAB: The rest of the trilogy is on shelves now, and your next project is an adult novel. What can you tell us about that book?
Adeyemi: This book is my siren song! I am so excited to take readers deeper into my soul and imagination with a dark story that encompasses so much of me.
Find Tomi Adeyemi on Instagram @tomiadeyemi, on X {formerly Twitter} @tomi_adeyemi, and on her website tomiadeyemi,com
Get your copy of Children Of Blood And Bone now! (Click image below)
🫶🏻 – Ali
**Interview by the team at We Are Bookish, an editorially independent division of NetGalley LLC. Sponsored by Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group. A special thanks for this ARC through We Are Bookish, NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group LLC.**
