I Will Swim Next Time: Meet the author

We chat to African-diaspora author, education expert and mum, Emily Joof, author of our gorgeous picture book I Will Swim Next Time – a gentle yet powerful story about taking time and listening to yourself, with warm and vibrant illustrations from Matilda Ruta.

Why did you write this book? What inspired it?

I grew up by the sea.

A short stroll and you could feel the salt air settle on your lips.

I can count on my fingers the number of times I went in the water to bathe.

I never learnt to swim.

I was happy to love the water from afar.

Many years later, I had a daughter of my own and she was born with the fear of water rooted in her.
Despite my determination not to pass on my hesitation, she inherited it nevertheless.

The first time she sat by the sea with me, I encouraged and coaxed. I did my best to get her to at least dip in her little toes, but she looked at me and said; ‘Mama it’s too loud.’

The crashing waves in The Gambia, mighty to one so small, sounded terrifying to tiny ears.

So, I held her close, and we let the moment pass.

Through the years, every summer, and most autumns we would visit lakes, streams, paddling pools.

She would watch, she would think, and let me know it wasn’t time.

We carried on like this until she was 5 and I signed her up for swimming classes.

Armed with her closest friends, she finally went in!

Victory!

She played and she learnt techniques carefully.

She moved around the water, making sure not a single drop touched her face.

Water on her face still meant total panic and chaos but she was in the water and that in itself was a beauty.

One summer, in the warm Swedish Gotland sun,
I watched her play in the pool.
Her rubber ring and armbands, snorkel and goggles, she splashed around having the time of her life.

Then she stood up, took it all off and she hopped back in.
She swam under water for half a length and came up for air.
In that moment, I felt crushing fear and elation within the same breath.

She swam.

She still swims now, under water, somehow finding comfort beneath the big blue.

I wrote her story of courage, persistence and time.

Taking the time to face what you fear until it becomes one with you.

That little story is this book.

What’s your favourite moment in the book and why?

My favourite moment is when the child finally, bravely takes a little hop.  There is such beauty in finding faith and strength in oneself.

What are some interesting messages or conversational points your book inspires?

I would love this book to encourage discussions about fear and new experiences. How time and positive reinforcement can offer tools for parenting.

But also, discussions about swimming and accessing this essential skill. Many minority communities never learn to swim and are hesitant to approach the water. There are historical and cultural reason for this, but also socio-economic ones and I would love to shine a light on that.

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Emily Joof is an African-diaspora author, education expert and mum. She writes children’s books and stories with a focus on inclusion and diversity which have been translated into Swedish, French and Wolof. Born in Nigeria, Emily now divides her time between the Gambia, the UK and Sweden.