AN INTERVIEW WITH YASMIN ANGOE

by Paula Gail Benson

Yasmin Angoe

When I read that Yasmin Angoe received the Eleanor Taylor Bland award from Sisters in Crime (an annual grant given to emerging authors of color to support their writing and career activities) I was delighted to learn that we were basically neighbors. I asked her to speak to our local Palmetto Chapter of Sisters in Crime about her experience and found her to be thoroughly delightful. She let me convince her to join our chapter and be elected as our secretary, for which I will always be grateful. 

I met Yasmin before her book debuted and became the blockbuster success it is now, with its own billboard in Times Square and a television series in the works. Through it all, Yasmin has remained humble, thoughtful and generous, a wonderful daughter, wife, and mother, and an encouraging friend. In addition to all her fabulous qualities, she is an engaging storyteller whose pacing and descriptions keep readers on the edge of their seats and wanting more.

Welcome, Yasmin, to Writers Who Kill. 

Please tell us a little about yourself and your personal history. 

A little bit about myself--I am the daughter of Ghanaian immigrants and taught English for over 10 years for grades 6-12. I've been writing ever since elementary, but more seriously since middle school. Writing and reading raised me when my mom had late nights working two and three jobs. I attempted to have my first full length novel, women's fiction, published about 20 years ago but it wasn't picked up (I haven't given up on it though). Her Name Is Knight is my first published book and one that was written out of the love of action thrillers, strong Black female protagonists, and a deep sense and respect of my culture. 

When did you know you wanted to be a writer? 

I have wanted to be a writer since elementary school when I realized that writing and reading were what gave me comfort, entertainment, and adventure. I love the art of storytelling and I loved how reading books about all these different characters doing all these unimaginable things made me feel. They made me feel like I could do them. I put myself in those characters and became totally immersed in their stories. When I write, it is to make the reader feel the same sense of comfort, entertainment, and adventure that I felt when I was reading. If I could take readers on a ride, make them feel all the feels either good or bad, then I was doing my job as a writer right. And when I finally realized I wanted to do that for my readers, that's when I knew I wanted to be a writer.  

How did you use your Eleanor Taylor Bland grant and how has receiving the award changed your life? 

I used the grant toward a writing retreat. Receiving the Eleanor Taylor Award for Emerging Authors of Color was one of the best things that ever happened to me because it reignited my belief in my writing ability. Yes, I had just gotten an agent before I found out I won the award, but I was still dealing with a tremendous amount of self-doubt and fear that my writing--that I--wasn't good enough. So receiving the award gave me the push I needed to keep believing in myself. The award put my work out there for the world to see and receive. And I attribute some of the success of Her Name Is Knight to that award and to the judges who chose a story about an immigrant Ghanaian woman who happens to kill bad people every now and again.

Another change in your life is the whirlwind publication of your debut novel, Her Name is Knight. Nena Knight’s life is an incredible roller coaster ride of emotions and circumstances, going from the happiness of being a beloved daughter and tribal princess to being tortured and enslaved to finding a new family and becoming an assassin. What was your first glimpse of Nena and why did you want to write about her? 

I wanted to write about Nena because I wanted to write about a woman doing a predominately man thing, but with added layers to her. I love reading thrillers and horrors, but at the time I began thinking about Nena, I didn't really see a lot of women characters in those roles. I'm not saying they weren't already out there, they were, but I didn't see them. I especially didn't see them as Black women so I set out to write a book that combined all the genres I love--action, thriller, romance, women's fiction, a little touch of mysticism, centered around a woman who was not only Black, but from a country you wouldn't expect to see as the main protagonist of the book. And she didn't have to be perfect either. She could be a conundrum for the reader who may hate what she does (kills people) while loving why she does it and understanding how she came to do it.

Because your novel deals very realistically with the destruction of Nena’s village and her being sold into sex trafficking, your opening passage warns readers about the contents and offers a list of resources where they can seek help if needed. How did you decide to lead off with this information and how have readers reacted to it? 

Well, I give all credit to one of my critical partners who told me how shocked she was when she read my book before I put the warnings in. I hadn't even thought to warn her because I was already prepared for what was in there. So when she mentioned her shock, I felt bad and I didn't want anyone else to go in without some kind of warning that they are about to embark on something that is not easy at all. It wasn't easy to write and it isn't easy to read. Of course warnings are subjective and some people may need it, others may need only a little, others may need even more and think I didn't put enough in. Whatever I put in is there with thought, care, and consideration for my readers in the best way I knew how. The resources idea came from my sensitivity reader (yes I had one and was so thankful for her). It made perfect sense that when delving into major issues with the reader, I not only warn, but include some ways to help the reader deal with what is covered, should they need it. 

Despite many of the difficult issues and situations that Nena encounters, it seems to me that the overall theme of the novel is about families: finding them, embracing them, respecting them, and, when necessary, forgiving them. Do you agree that Nena’s journey is as much about her becoming her own person as it is about her finding ways to belong among others? 

Absolutely Nena's journey, her story, is about so much more than the trauma she experiences. Above all else, the book is about her survival. Nena Knight is a survivor, period. And with her surviving, everything else falls in: her finding family after her biological one is gone; her reclamation of her power after it was stolen from her; her coming back "alive" when she realizes there is a life of love and mothership she can still have; her learning and re-inventing who she is because she realizes she doesn't have to remain the same. She doesn't have to stay the powerless, or a killer, or whatever. So yeah, the book is the journey of surviving, reinventing, and reclamation of Nena Knight.

In another interview, you said if you could be one of your characters, you would choose Elin, Nena’s independent and headstrong sister. Elin’s exuberance is the perfect foil for Nena’s more reticent approach, but like Nena, Elin has a lot to learn about herself and the people she allows into her life. Why would you want to be Elin? 

Gosh, I forgot I'd said that. I suppose at any given time, I'd want to be any of the characters in the book. But with Elin, I love her freedom and her steadfast loyalties. What I find particularly appealing about Elin is that she's not your typical spoiled brat. She can see people for the good that's inside them even though she's bawdy and unapologetically loves herself. She recognized that good in Nena when Nena joined their family and she welcomed Nena as a sister with open arms. She didn't put on any airs. She has been Nena's rock, her protector, confidant, everything and for that I love Elin. Elin is one of the strongest characters I know, even more so (at times) than Nena. She's exactly what Nena needed as a sister.

The next Nena Knight novel is due to be released on my birthday in September (I’ve already pre-ordered!). Can you give us some hints about what Nena and Elin may encounter next? 

First of all, happy pre-birthday! We're going to have to figure out a wonderful birthday celebration. In book two, we're going to expand Nena's world a bit and try to figure out who's coming after the Tribe and the Knights. It's not just about Nena anymore in They Come at Knight. 

Are you involved with the television series? And, how exciting is it that your work will be filmed? 

I'm definitely involved when they reach out. I do hear from the team when they have questions and currently the writer is working on the adaptation. When the script is complete they'll share it with me for my thoughts. And when the series gets picked up, then I'll hopefully have more active involvement. I can't wait to see what they've done with the Nena-verse. 

Her Name is Knight Featured in Times Square!

I’ve already appreciated your encouragement. What advice do you give writers? 

Thank you! Only advice I would give is to truly follow what is most comfortable for you and don't close yourself off to valuable feedback. There is a lot of advice out there on craft and how to become published. It's truly a personalized experience. You should use a process that's natural and works for you. But you have to also think beyond yourself and be open to feedback you may not like to hear. It doesn't mean you have to take it, but you do have to be open. We write for ourselves, yes. But if we want to be read by others, then we write for our readers too. I always try to keep that in mind.

Yasmin, thank you for taking the time to be with us today. May you continue to have great writing success!   

Thank you for having me!!!

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Yasmin Angoe’s Biography:

Yasmin Angoe is the debut author of the bestselling and award-winning thriller Her Name Is Knight. She is a first-generation Ghanaian American and has worked in education for nearly twenty years as a middle and high school teacher and instructional coach. Currently, Yasmin works as a developmental editor and sensitivity reader for publishers and authors. Yasmin received the 2020 Eleanor Taylor Bland Award for Emerging Writers of Color from Sisters in Crime of which she is a member. She is also a proud member of numerous crime, mystery, and thriller writing groups and organizations like Crime Writers of Color, Mystery Writers of America, and International Thriller Writers. When she’s not writing, Yasmin’s editing for clients, searching what show or movie to binge, absorbed in an audiobook, or obsessing the fact she should probably be writing at that very moment.