Tomi Oyemakinde
Tomi Oyemakinde grew up in London, UK before being uprooted at the age of six to the Netherlands, then Kuwait, Norway and Scandinavia. The child of Nigerian immigrants, he considers himself a “third culture kid.”
While attending a boarding school in England, he developed a passion for fantasy stories, influenced initially by Richard Adam’s Watership Down. At one stage, Tomi aspired to be a rapper, but studied electrical and electronic engineering at City University of London, then pursued a greater love for stories and a desire to write.
Although he found that finishing a piece was a lot harder than starting, once he discovered the stories he wanted to tell, he couldn’t put pen to paper fast enough. Now, he’s committed to crafting stories centered on Black protagonists thriving across genres, audiences and worlds.
His first two novels are young-adult fantasy thrillers: The Changing Man (Feiwel & Friends 2023, female protagonist) and We are Hunted (Macmillan Children’s 2024, male protagonist). They’ve also been labelled speculative fiction. He currently lives in London, UK. Besides writing, his passions are dogs, anime and sports (particularly football).
He can be found at https://tomioyemakinde.com and @tomioyemakinde on Instagram.
Q: What draws you to writing thrillers, and to the fantasy element?
A: I’ve always been a big reader (thanks, Mum!) but I became interested in writing quite late! I was in university at the time and really into Manga. I read this great story, and found myself thinking, If I wrote this I would do it differently. That moment opened my eyes. From there my imagination carried me the rest of the way as I saw stories through a new lens, took inspiration from my own “likes” and sought to add my own spin to them.
Q: What aspects of writing young adult surprised you or differed sharply from previous projects?
A: Great question. I grew up reading a lot of high fantasy or crime thrillers. Over time I yearned for the two to overlap, and when I started writing, I was determined to make that happen. With thrillers I love how they play with suspense. They keep you on your toes and no matter the pace, the anticipation keeps you hooked. I’m learning more and more that I like when stories always make me anticipate! I also love trying to work out what’s going on. Throwing in the fantasy element speaks to my own vivid imagination and desire to answer the many “What if?” questions in my head. I think readers appreciate stories that can surprise and excite them, and thrillers come with that expectation. With fantasy I think it’s the sense of exploration the genre provides. As a reader you’re always new to the world and trying to acclimatize, and the only way is to give in to that sense of discovery and awe. There’s something appealing in doing that.
Q: Was there something about your youth that inspired you to write for young adults?
A: Young adults are the future! Literally and figuratively. I’m inspired to write for them because I remember what it was like to wrestle with so many emotions and ideas. The Changing Man is a personal story, and I was writing to my past self who struggled with boarding school and this sense of loneliness. In those moments, stories helped me find my courage. My desire is to do the same. To offer an encouraging hand and encourage young adults to find hope.
Q: Tell us about growing up Black in London and living in so many other countries, and howvthat connects to your commitment to featuring Black protagonists.
A: You know when I look back, I recognize it was harder on me than I thought. I desperately wanted to fit in and that was hard with hair I couldn’t spike up, and a skin color that seemed outside the norm. And because I grew up in majority white spaces, when I entered majority Black spaces, I also felt out of place, too. There seemed to be shared formative experiences I couldn’t relate to. That was hard, too. I’m grateful the damage on my self-esteem was minimal, but I know that’s not the case for everyone. When I feature a commitment to featuring Black protagonists, I’m not trying to define what Blackness is. My aim is to represent the broad spectrum of Blackness.
Q: Now that you’ve written one novel with a female and one with a male protagonist, tell us which you found easier, why you chose one of each, and who is going to be featured next?
A: Haha! This is always a difficult question to answer. Honestly, it’s all instinctual and impulsive and I tend to stick with my gut. I found writing a male protagonist easier, I’d say. Not for any other reason than I felt a lot less invisible pressure. I knew there’d be some scrutiny and I probably drafted with a lot less freedom. In my next story the main character is a male!
Q: Now that your two novels have been well received, where do you plan to go from here?
A: : I’m in the middle of drafting another story. This one leans more towards the fantasy side but still features good thriller aspects! After that, I think I’m going to take a break. For me it’s important to give my mind a break. That’s the plan. However, plans can change and if a story captures my heart, best believe I’m going to follow it!
– Pam Withers