I first met Bronwyn in 2002 at Victoria Park in Kitchener. It must have been late summer or early Fall because the event was outdoors. I had been invited to read at the Word on The Street Festival, where I was promoting my book,"The Pot of Wisdom: Ananse Stories" published by Groundwood Books.
The reading was a blast and Bronwyn and I hit it off well. She was there on behalf of Words Worth, the famous bookshop in Waterloo and I sat and signed and greeted kids and parents. In between we chatted. Bronwyn had returned only a few months ago from a trip to West Africa including Guinea and Ghana. In Ghana she had met the man who was to become her husband, Nii and she couldn't wait to tell me about him.
Since then I have read at WordsWorth events during February and Black History Month. I have also performed Spirit Alive, as a special solo dance at an author and book signing event. Bronwyn and her family have taken some dance classes with me and I have had Bronwyn and her wonderful parents to dinner, where they met my mom.
Last May, at the Canadian Booksellers conference in Mississauga, I was invited to sign promotional advance copies of my book Between Sisters and did bump into Bronwyn who had just delivered a speech at the conference. She was sporting a new haircut and looking quite chic. Our shrieks of joy subsided and I told her about my book. She took one copy and promised to be honest with me after she had read it. Bronwyn reads a lot of books for herself and also because of her job in the book trade. I knew she would be honest.
When I saw her email, I opened it with some trepidation. Hers was the second email to tell me how much she liked the book. The first such complimentary email had come from Ken Setterington of the Toronto Public Library, another well read gentleman.
I breathed a sigh of relief. I knew then that I would be reading at Words Worth before the year was over.
On Saturday, I am looking forward to seeing Bronwyn, Nii, and their children. I am also looking forward to seeing familiar and not so familiar faces. In the past, I have done much performance, reading, storytelling and dance in the Kitchener-Waterloo area and do hope my fans will turn out to support us. I am expecting a great reading experience, tons of questions and comments and of course a pre Christmas sales boom of my book "Between Sisters" and all my other books, too.
I think Between Sisters is an important book because the story tells really well. Set in Ghana, the themes are universal, the story is modern and the social issues described are worthy of discussion.
I write for children and young adults because it is important that we do so. They are curious and smart and desirous of fairness. They like to laugh and they enjoy a good story. And the next great advancements in society will come from them. As a teenager, I read the book, "The Citadel", a gift from my father. That book influenced me positively in my practice as a physician in Ghana. Books are important and particularly books for youth. Bring your teens out to Words Worth on Saturday November 13th at 2:30pm. I promise you it will be fun and most engaging.
The reading was a blast and Bronwyn and I hit it off well. She was there on behalf of Words Worth, the famous bookshop in Waterloo and I sat and signed and greeted kids and parents. In between we chatted. Bronwyn had returned only a few months ago from a trip to West Africa including Guinea and Ghana. In Ghana she had met the man who was to become her husband, Nii and she couldn't wait to tell me about him.
Since then I have read at WordsWorth events during February and Black History Month. I have also performed Spirit Alive, as a special solo dance at an author and book signing event. Bronwyn and her family have taken some dance classes with me and I have had Bronwyn and her wonderful parents to dinner, where they met my mom.
Last May, at the Canadian Booksellers conference in Mississauga, I was invited to sign promotional advance copies of my book Between Sisters and did bump into Bronwyn who had just delivered a speech at the conference. She was sporting a new haircut and looking quite chic. Our shrieks of joy subsided and I told her about my book. She took one copy and promised to be honest with me after she had read it. Bronwyn reads a lot of books for herself and also because of her job in the book trade. I knew she would be honest.
When I saw her email, I opened it with some trepidation. Hers was the second email to tell me how much she liked the book. The first such complimentary email had come from Ken Setterington of the Toronto Public Library, another well read gentleman.
I breathed a sigh of relief. I knew then that I would be reading at Words Worth before the year was over.
On Saturday, I am looking forward to seeing Bronwyn, Nii, and their children. I am also looking forward to seeing familiar and not so familiar faces. In the past, I have done much performance, reading, storytelling and dance in the Kitchener-Waterloo area and do hope my fans will turn out to support us. I am expecting a great reading experience, tons of questions and comments and of course a pre Christmas sales boom of my book "Between Sisters" and all my other books, too.
I think Between Sisters is an important book because the story tells really well. Set in Ghana, the themes are universal, the story is modern and the social issues described are worthy of discussion.
I write for children and young adults because it is important that we do so. They are curious and smart and desirous of fairness. They like to laugh and they enjoy a good story. And the next great advancements in society will come from them. As a teenager, I read the book, "The Citadel", a gift from my father. That book influenced me positively in my practice as a physician in Ghana. Books are important and particularly books for youth. Bring your teens out to Words Worth on Saturday November 13th at 2:30pm. I promise you it will be fun and most engaging.
The Words Worth link is http://www.wordsworthbooks.com/Adwoa%20Badoe.htm
where you can read from Bronwyn's own words and find another photograph of me.
Well done sis!
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