We were lucky to catch up with Afra Brown recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Afra, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
I get most of my resilience from my upbringing. As a child, I was born into a prejudice environment. In my small southern town, there was always adversity that I had to face. I learned from a young age that certain people judge you based on what you look like and the color of your skin. This was never easy, but luckily I had parents who taught me to stand up in the face of adversity. This way of thinking still serves me to this day. This is why I chose to write children’s books based on societal issues like racism and tolerance.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am fortunate enough to be able to live out my childhood dream every day. As long as I can remember I’ve wanted to be a children’s book author. I write stories based on my own experiences as well as societal issues. I have a series called Adventures with Kelly and Layla and a standalone book called Fujo the Bonobo. I’m currently writing my fifth book, which will be announced soon! These books teach children important life lessons.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I’ve always been drawn to writing and feel that it is a natural gift, however I still found it important to practice writing. I’ve written many stories before I decided to publish my first book. I wanted to fine tune my writing skills and I encourage others to do the same. Secondly, I feel that you need a good support team around you. You really want to trust your publishing team and know that they understand your vision. Thirdly, you should be self motivated. No one else is going to do the work for you. I am always sure to dedicate time each day to write and also promote my books.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I would love to collaborate with those who are not afraid to take risks. My books are not traditional and I would love to connect with others who do things a little differently. I wrote my books to bring about change and I’d like to meet people who are a part of that same change.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.afrabrown.com
- Instagram: @kellyandlaylaseries
- Facebook: Kelly and Layla series, Fujo the Bonobo
- Other: www.kellyandlaylaseries.com
