Lola Akinmade Åkerström
Lola Akinmade Åkerström is a Nigerian photographer, speaker, travel storyteller and an international author whose books are published in 18 languages. She is based in Stockholm, Sweden. She is the current editor-in-chief for Slow Travel Stockholm. Her works have been featured in the National Geographic Traveler, BBC, and CNN, among other publications. She studied Geography Information System (GIS) and holds a masters degree at the University of Maryland.
Quotes
edit"IN CONVERSATION WITH AUTHOR LOLA AKINMADE ÅKERSTRÖM ON VISUAL STORYTELLING AND DRAWING ON PERSONAL EXPERIENCES TO CREATE WORKS OF FICTION"
edit- I often say there is a huge difference between loving a Black woman versus taking directions from her as your boss or CEO.
- Many personal experiences were sprinkled throughout the book.
- A lot of the feelings of isolation, lack of belonging, and exclusion Muna feels are real and raw for me.
- Brittany was the most challenging character for me because, as the author, we don’t share the same values, but she is completely valid.
In every mirror she's black (2021)
edit- The trauma she had endured often manifested itself as quiet tears once she was locked in her room, staring at her graveyard of photos.
- Being different doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you or that you aren’t perfect as you are. It simply means getting special support so you can live your best life.
- She needed balance. Her own moon that would rise and fall with her, keeping her equilibrium, loving her unconditionally.
- We are in fact all perfectly different, and what makes us different needs to be fully celebrated within society.