writing Adze
Adze is a short story thriller inspired by West African Ewe folklore. In the beginning, Imari wrote Adze for herself. She was looking for new Black stories in the horror and fantasy genre that did not center around Eurocentric mythology and ideology. Imari craved stories that were about Black people experiencing fantasy, horror, and romance in a culturally relevant way. When being chased by a monster, stumbling upon mythical worlds, or going on wild adventures your Blackness shapes your experiences and gives you a unique perspective.
Imari was purposeful in basing the story in Togo, West Africa. The tale of the Adze comes from Ewe Folklore that hails from Ghana and Togo. Imari did not want to exploit the stories origins by placing it in another region of the world or reimagining this tale for another culture.
As a Black American writer, Imari also wanted to connect the Black / African Diaspora. Story telling is a powerful tool that can create unity. She hopes that stories like Adze will get people interested in the diversity of Black cultures around the world.
About the author
Imari Abdullah is a Black American writer from Colorado. She writes tales for children, as well as young adult horror, fantasy, and sci-fi short stories. Imari’s work is inspired by ethnic folklore, her family, and the types of Black stories she wishes existed in print growing up.
Imari’s love for horror, fantasy, and sci-fi started with her parents. She watched classic horror movies with her father and cult classic series with her mother. As a child she was given all types of books, but was partial to historical, spiritual, fantasy, realistic fiction, mythology, folklore, and horror. As a teen, her mother introduced her to authors like Octavia Butler, Stephen King, and Tananarive Due. Imari Abdullah started writing stories for herself but realized that stories are meant to be shared.
Imari believes it is important for Black people to see themselves in all roles whether that be victim or predator, hero or villain, protagonist or background character. When creative writing, you can imagine whatever you want, why not imagine everything as Black and beyond?
She hopes that readers will love her stories as much as she enjoys writing them.
