On this month's We Love Books Podcast, journalist, TV presenter and now debut author, Zainab Boladale, talks big dreams, small towns and the magic of local libraries. And of course, her book, Braids Take A Day.
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Born in Nigeria, Zainab was raised in Ennis, Co Clare and became the first Afro-Irish woman on Irish TV news when she stepped into the role of presenter on RTÉ’s news2Day, the news show for children and young people. In 2019, Zainab took up her role as presenter and reporter for RTÉ’s Nationwide and has been traveling the country bringing us stories from all around Ireland ever since.
Though a long-time scribbler and frequent writer of poems and short stories, Braids Take a Day is Zainab’s first novel for a YA audience, suitable for children from 6th class upwards she says, and follows the story of Abidemi’s last summer in the idyllic village of Ennistymon after finishing school. With her dad away on a business trip, Abidemi gets her first real taste of freedom, maybe even romance with her friend Jack and forges a special connection with an intriguing woman from Nigeria that leaves her questioning everything.
With such a varied career, the common thread for Zainab has been storytelling.
"I like to just categorize myself as a storyteller because that’s been what’s motivated me throughout my life. I love telling stories whether they be fictional or based on reality."
She has certainly enjoyed telling this coming-of-age story and the thrill of seeing it on a bookshelf hasn’t gotten old.
"Every time I see the cover I feel, like a sense and a burst of joy just because I’m super proud of it and I think sometimes I’m still like, wait, that’s actually my book and I wrote that!"
Zainab credits the time spent in her local library after school each day with granting her access to a world of books that shaped her as a writer and as a person. De Valera Library in Ennis was her go-to and before its extensive refurbishment, Zainab spent many happy hours browsing the shelves and ordering in titles from her favourite authors.
"Before what it looked like was a quaint little library right across from my secondary school and a ten-minute walk from when I was in primary school. My mum worked a lot so my after school club was technically doing my homework in my local library and because of that I also was, you know, able to borrow very quickly and return very quickly so it just kept me on this constant train of having a book in my hand and it just meant that, you know, when a new book came out, I could be one of the first people to ask for it to be ordered into the library so I kind of really understood how the library system worked, I knew what was going to come out really quickly, so it just meant I had so much access to books across different ages… It inspired a lot of curiosity to read more and a little bit of that rebellious streak to, like, I want to read above my age group."
Though she hails from Ennis, the magic of Ennistymon sparked Zainab’s imagination. Her mum’s work as a carer meant that Zainab frequently accompanied her to various locations and Enistymon, with its stunning waterfalls and proximity to Lahinch beach felt like the perfect place to set this story.
"I wanted to bring in those beautiful elements of just like being able to relax in a small town and showing the beauty of it...I felt like Ennistymon had a little bit of magic to it that was untapped in the literature I’d read by Irish writers."
At the heart of this story is the experience of the Irish teenager branching out, finding their place within their community and beyond and most importantly, finding themselves.
"I wanted to write a book that I felt Irish teenagers could relate to, to their authentic experiences but it’s also for younger readers who are excited about coming teenagers and who might feel like perhaps their teenage experience, especially in a small town, is not documented as well, I wanted young readers to see themselves in the story, those things that are authentically Irish or that school experience that’s authentically Irish or even that friendship dynamic that a lot of people might not see reflected in books for Irish teenagers so definitely the audience is young Irish people."
So, if braids take a day, what does Zainab do while sitting in the chair?
"It technically just takes an entire day which is the same amount as doing a full work shift so you can do a lot in eight hours while you’re getting your hair braided so it’s a full day commitment so you don’t want to be bored and you can’t fall asleep because apparently hair dressers don’t like that!"
Listen to We Love Books here wherever you get your podcast to hear the full interview and get Zainab's top tips on how to become a published author.
For more great Podcasts for young people go to rte.ie/jrpodcasts.
