Author Feature: Sarah Akinterinwa
Sarah Akinterinwa is a British cartoonist, illustrator, and writer.
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Akinterinwa started her illustration career by creating the comic Oyin and Kojo, showcasing light-hearted single-panel cartoons of a black-British couple's everyday life. After a New Yorker cartoon editor discovered her work, Sarah then became a cartoonist for The New Yorker magazine, leading her to become a full-time artist, creating comic, editorial cartoons, and illustrations.
Her work explores dating, relationships, identity, and politics while navigating adult life as a young woman of color.
“Why You'll Never Find the One And Why It Doesn't Matter is an illustrated dating guide rooted in her experiences as a Black woman in her late twenties and encourages readers to be introspective, honest, and practical in their love lives.
Through vignettes with scenes from modern dating, the book's main character walks the reader through the ins and outs of being single, defining what you want in a partner, navigating dating apps, the value of therapy, contending with family expectations, and remaining optimistic about finding a relationship that's right for you.
The stories, practices, and tips in this guide offer support for the lovelorn millennial and anyone wading through the challenges of dating and being single in today's world, leaving the reader with the recognition that there might not necessarily be "one" perfect partner or way to be in a relationship, but rather, many possibilities—in dating and in life.”
→ Get your Copy at this link.
FEMINIST caught up with the author, Sarah Akinterinwa, learn more about the book and her journey in creating it our interview below. ⬇️
Q: What is your personal mantra?
SA: My personal mantra is, ‘If it makes you happy and doesn’t hurt anyone, do it!’
Q: Who is this book for?
SA: This book is for any adult who wants to explore a realistic approach to dating that makes them feel empowered and optimistic about finding someone they are compatible with. It’s especially for anyone who wants a bit of entertainment within a self-help text.
Q: What do you want the reader to walk away with?
SA: I want the reader to walk away with hope, excitement, and the knowledge that they have far more options and opportunities when it comes to romance than they think. Most importantly, I want readers to feel worthy of healthy companionship, whatever that looks like to the individual, no matter what stage of life they’re in.
Q: What was the most difficult part for you to write?
SA: The ending! There’s a fictional comic of an adult woman navigating her love life throughout the book, and I had no idea how her story would end in the book. Maybe it was something personal, perhaps because I don’t know exactly which part of my own love story I’m in and how it will end. Well, I eventually figured it out for my character, and I’m still figuring it out for myself!
Q: As a cartoonist, what inspires your art and themes?
SA: My own life experience, deep conversations with others where they share their own experiences with me, and of course, anything that enrages me, makes me feel happy, curious, terrified, or vulnerable.
Q: What was your goal in curating the messages represented in the book?
SA: One of my goals was to create a main character that is black, a woman, and for many people to relate to. We don’t have enough characters like this in media where her story isn’t focused on just her black experience. Another goal was to deconstruct our ideas around dating. I felt that there was this almost universal dating fatigue in my generation and my goal is to acknowledge this and get down to the ‘why’ and what to do about it.
Q: What advice would you give to those feeling unlucky or lost in regard to love?
SA: My advice to anyone feeling unlucky or lost about anything is always to stop and recalibrate. Take a break, take some time for introspection, work on the parts of yourself you want to showcase in your love life, and then go for it again. It’s true when they say there’s someone (a lot of ‘someone’s’) for each person. You just have to figure out your personal strategy for bumping into the right people.
Q: Which part of the book was most eye-opening for you to write?
SA: There’s a chapter called ‘Why You Need To Date Yourself’ which I would argue is the most important chapter. It talks about how important it is to get to know yourself as you date. I don’t want to give too much away, but I can honestly say I learned a lot about myself while writing this chapter. It’s a great reminder that there are a lot of things we seek in others that we can give ourselves.
Q: What was your favorite part of the book to create?
SA: Everything was so much fun to draw, but I especially loved creating the comic in chapter one where she’s having dinner with her family and her parents are wearing traditional African attire. I remember feeling so much joy that I was drawing people from my culture for a book that would one day be published for people of all walks of life to read. It’s still mind-blowing!
Q: What does being a Feminist mean to you?
SA: “Being a feminist means rebelling against the constraints of a patriarchal system. According to the patriarchy, a black woman isn’t supposed to be an author, making a living as an artist, be published in newspapers and magazines, or inspire other women to strive for successful creative careers. Without my feminism, I’d be a stuck in a box society prepared for me from birth, and I don’t fit in boxes.”
Discover Why You'll Never Find the One And Why It Doesn't Matter by Sarah Akinterinwa
→ Get your Copy at this link.
