In Craig Kofi Farmer's Kwame Crashes the Underworld, a 12-year-old boy's life is completely changed when he is pulled into the mythological Ghanaian underworld with his bestie, discovers his magical lineage, and reconnects with his deceased grandmother. The debut author spoke with SLJ about lovably chaotic characters, writing through grief, and the gravity and responsibility of honoring strong ancestors. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

How did you know this was the story you needed to tell for your debut?

Photo by Alexandra Johnson

Anyone who writes a book, short story, poem, or script has the unique opportunity (the privilege, even) to put a story out into the world. I knew that if I was ever blessed with this opportunity, I needed to do something that was meaningful, reflective, and personal. My family line is comprised of people who have used their skills to contribute to the world: working in the Civil Rights Movement, playing in the NFL, helping immigrants secure housing, and serving as a Queen Mother in Saltpond, Ghana. The latter refers to my late grandmother, who wielded tremendous political and social capital to protect her community, solve problems, and fight for equity in her village.

My ancestors and relatives used their skills and passions to benefit others. How I could use [stories and storytelling] to honor my family? How could I use this to make the world just a little better? I challenged myself to use my love for storytelling to write a book that honored my family, challenged its audience, and spotlighted an underrepresented culture. This novel holds the spirit of these goals and also centers an emotional journey steeped in Ghanaian mythology. It speaks to the importance of Queen Mothers, grandmothers, and family culture. It explores the relationship between the American Black and African communities. It challenges readers to do their part in protecting the environment.

You blend Ghanaian folklore and fantasy with common real-world tween experiences like navigating loss, processing big emotions, and feeling like you don't meet parental expectations. Did you pull elements from your own life to ground this complex novel?  

In graduate school, I heard one phrase quite a lot: “Write what you know.” I remember falling in love with the "Percy Jackson" series growing up, but I also remember wanting to look like the characters in those novels even though they didn’t look like me. I remember realizing how important representation was in stories; if I’m experiencing these insecurities, maybe other people were feeling these same things. When I got the chance to write a story of my own, I knew that I needed to write what I knew—and to write the story that I wished I had growing up.

My grandmother died in 2008, when I was 12 years old. I remember feeling a storm of complicated emotions: guilt for not spending enough time with her, sorrow for the loss, helplessness from seeing my mother’s grief, but also intimidation by my grandmother’s legacy. My grandmother had an ornate, beautiful celebration of life in Ghana that honored all she did in Saltpond…and she did a lot. I remember telling myself that I needed to behave as well as I could, do all the chores I could think of, and get the best grades I could to support my mother while she was navigating her own journey of grief.

What if I had one more moment with my grandmother before she passed? What if I could have a real conversation with her, to tell her everything that I felt, about her legacy, about my identity, about my experiences at school? What if I could tell her one more story about my life? In this book, I give Kwame a lot of the experiences that I had—but not everything. Some of Kwame’s life was inspired by other Ghanaian children I knew growing up, or family friends that I have now. Some of Kwame’s experiences were pulled from the issues I’ve seen reflected in current events. While Kwame takes a lot from my life, he’s his own character, who gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reconnect with his late grandmother. Part of me is kind of jealous of that blasted kid.

What is your writing process? Are there characters or plot elements that you wish you could've spent more time with?

Some story ideas grab my mind and refuse to let go. When that experience strikes me, I know that I need to explore this idea. I usually start with an outline that maps the story beats, including the biggest character moments, the most pivotal narrative turns, and the defining moments of the antagonist. I let my mind flow over the outline, like water poured into a cup of ice. The ice melts a little, and the water grows cold until it’s a nice, balanced glass of ice water. Similarly, the properties of both the outline and the actual written story are changed by the writing process until it’s a complete narrative.

I do wish I could’ve spent more time with characters like Lala, Bia, or Autumn’s family. Ghanaian mythology is also so rich, that it’s nearly impossible to refer to every single aspect in one middle-grade novel. With this said, I feel blessed to even be able to include these things in the first place. All these things help build out Kwame’s world and this story.

Kwame's Blackness and his conflicted relationship with his Ghanaian roots are key parts of his identity. Many readers will relate to his initial feelings of disconnect from a culture and a homeland that he's never really known. Was there a specific community you had in mind that you hoped to reach with Kwame's story?

The only experience I can really speak to is my observations about the relationship between the American Black community and the African community. There are times when I noticed a schism between these groups; both identities sometimes see each other as a distorted representation of themselves. This perception can result in distance, abrasion, and antagonism on either side.

My experience isn’t a monolith though. I’ve seen members of both the Black and African communities be restorative and inclusive towards one another. This sense of community and collectivism can solve systemic problems, facilitate innovation, and build nations. This is part of the reason why I referred to this relationship in the novel. Even though Kwame is Black, his roots are still Ghanaian—and it took Kwame understanding that, accepting that, and challenging himself to go to Ghana for him to reconcile himself with his identity. 

Aside from being an author, you have multiple degrees in science and education, and work in higher education! How do these facets of your life influence your writing?

This is a wonderful question. Working in higher education means that I get to work closely with college students of several different ages, backgrounds, and experiences. This work helps me develop a more eclectic worldview. This work also helps me see exactly the kind of issues that young people are facing nowadays, which allows me to reflect this in my writing.

Kwame's journey is unique in so many ways, especially when it comes to his companions—one of whom is his grandmother as a child! How did you conceptualize Ama and Autumn and their roles in this fantasy adventure? 

Both these characters see themselves as the main characters in their own stories. Ama was especially fun to write, because I’m embodying someone who has experienced the passage from life into the afterlife. What is that experience like? What is it like to think that you’re in an afterlife free from pain and worry, only to find that your very alive grandson has fallen into a potentially dangerous underworld? Even in death, Ama is still a Queen Mother, and her instinct is to help, guide, and protect.

For Autumn, she enters Asamando to protect her best friend. It’s important to me that she takes that leap into the underworld for herself, rather than being dragged or forced. Autumn is an active character. She’s not Kwame’s sidekick. She’s a person with her own goals, views, identities, and feelings.

Humor plays such a significant role in your book. How important was it for you that this story use levity to balance out the grief and high-stakes action?

I’d like to shout out books like the "Percy Jackson" series, television shows like Avatar: The Last Airbender, and movies like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. These stories explore grand, philosophical, sometimes abstract concepts by focusing on the humanity of the characters and using levity to maximize the accessibility of the story. Kwame and Autumn are kids; even though they have world-shattering responsibilities on their shoulders, they’re not above making a joke, pointing out a narrative cliché, or laughing at themselves. I think more people should consider humor as the multifaceted, spiritually fulfilling medium that it is.

What's next for you on the literary front?

Any time that I start my writing process, I tie that story to a core truth about the human experience. Concepts like vulnerability, ego, culture, and relationships are very interesting to write about. I can say that there’s something else coming down the pipeline, and that something explores one of those fundamental human experiences. Stay tuned!

Kwame Crashes the Underworld publishes September 10, 2024, from Roaring Brook Press.