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What if there were no Black people on Earth?! That is the premise of author Sean C Wright's latest book, a fascinating Young Adult novel titled "Skoll's Diary". In her book, Africans and African Americans have left Earth in the year 1900 to escape the mistreatment and misery they were facing at the hands Whites. Slavery may have been outlawed, but the vestiges remained and colonization was still rampant outside of the United States. They decided to leave it all behind and find a better life out amongst the stars. They found a planet in the Milky Way and made a new life for themselves.
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"Skoll's Diary" picks up in the year 3005. Through the diary entries of the intelligent and sensitive 16 year old Skoll, we get a peek inside life on this planet and inside the new culture that has formed over the centuries. Skoll loves his world, but wonders about the life Africans and African Americans left behind on Earth. "Then suddenly, an epic event casts him in the middle of a difficult decision. The fate of the planet's community is in his hands."...
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I've found myself using this word quite a bit when describing this book, but it is simply fascinating! Black folks leaving all this stress and injustice behind is something that I think we fantasize about now, especially with the charged racial climate that we're in. Kudos to Ms Wright for being brave enough to spark the discussion of "what if?". That's particularly remarkable considering this book is aimed at a young adult audience. If this were used in a classroom, I feel the applications are many.
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The care that she has put into crafting this new world and culture is most definitely felt. During our interview she explains some of the research she had to do to bring Saturnaa to life. She also touches on some of the historical inspirations that were used for her book and her hopes that Black children will see that we did in fact come from greatness. Ms Wright mentioned Queen Nzinga as a model for one of the characters in the book and once you read it, you'll find that she also pulls from the story of Igbo Landing. That being said, "Skoll's Diary" is an emotional, fantastical, futuristic ride that you are sure to enjoy. I recommend it for upper middle grade readers/young adult readers on up, only because teen pregnancy is discussed in the book.
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I had the pleasure of speaking with Sean C Wright and our conversation touched on several topics including: the inspiration behind this wonderful afrofuturistic novel that she's written, her journey as an independent author, her desire to be a representative voice for young Black girls and Black boys, and her advice for anyone wanting to enter the writing industry. Watch and listen as we discuss "Skoll's Diary" and more! Tap or click on the photo above to add this fantastical tale to your collection.
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