I wanted to write about extended family systems. You have people you can fall back on, and it’s good. But what if you don’t fit into what is expected… - Ayobami Adebayo

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I wanted to write about extended family systems. You have people you can fall back on, and it’s good. But what if you don’t fit into what is expected of you? If you’re a man, there’s support. If you’re a woman, like Yejide, there’s the expectation that you marry into a family and after a couple of years you have children, and you have a measure of power. I wanted to look at what would happen if you could choose to be what you’re supposed to be, and how the community, in trying to help you become what you think you should be, turns on you.

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About Ayobami Adebayo

Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ (born January 29, 1988) is a Nigerian writer.Her 2017 debut novel, Stay With Me, won the 9mobile Prize for Literature and the Prix Les Afriques. She was awarded The Future Awards Africa Prize for Arts and Culture in 2017.

Also Known As

Native Name: Ayobami
Alternative Names: Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀

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I am interested in the idea that people should be able to define their own happiness. It’s not just about fertility; we are often told that we need this or that to be happy. We need to be thin, rich or whatever. But maybe we should decide for ourselves what happiness looks like.

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