We are excited to share with you our fifth guest of #TallawahTalks, Deborah Ahenkorah Osei-Agyekum, Founder of African Bureau Stories and Co-Founder of Accord Literary, whose life’s work has been rooted in giving children across Africa culturally-relevant books to fall in love with.
Through her publishing house, African Bureau Stories, she is providing increased opportunities for African writers and illustrators to publish locally and internationally. Additionally, through Accord Literary, a partnership with renowned publisher Sarah Odedina, she is dedicated to mentoring, developing and encouraging writers based in Africa writing books for young readers.
Deborah has championed and advocated for the African children’s literature industry from grassroots levels to large global stages such as the World Economic Forum. She has been celebrated for her work by organizations such as Echoing Green, The Aspen Institute and the Grinnell Prize for Social Justice. She is a recipient of the 2019 Global Pluralism Award given by His Highness the Aga Khan and the government of Canada for her founding of the Golden Baobab Prize and overall recognition of her efforts to promote African children's literature as a way to build a more inclusive world.
Listen to hear share how she navigated various challenges and her journey towards ultimately bring her whole self to her work as a woman, mother, wife, African, and person of faith. She also talks about the deep injustice in the world of storytelling and why that matters for readers not only as children, but for the adults they will one day become.