I’ve given him a brief description, but how else should we introduce him to our listeners? He’s a noticer of his environment too, and he finds meaning and expression through swimming. He’s a dreamer and a lover of story, and he’s in love, captivated, smitten. It’s set in Ghana in 1860, and the protagonist is a young boy, Kofi, who’s in that transition phase between childhood and becoming a man. I’d like to say that I read it in one sitting, but in truth, I had to pause partway through to process and gather strength to read the second part. This incredible story triggered every emotion in me. There are lots of points of connection between the novel and the picture book, but I’d like to begin with The Door of No Return. Both books are published in the UK by Andersen Press. We’re going to be talking about two very important books, his new verse novel, The Door of No Return, and a picture book published here in the UK as Unspoken, but in America as An American story. I’m Nikki Gamble and it’s a huge pleasure to welcome back Kwame Alexander, poet, novelist educator, and film producer now and general inspirer. Hello everyone, and welcome to another episode of In The Reading Corner. In this episode, Kwame talks with Nikki Gamble about both books and their origins. Two new books, The Door of No Return and the picturebook Unspoken (published in the US as An American Story), also assert this strength and the refusal to be defined by one aspect of Black History – slavery. And Kwame has written a picture book, Undefeated, celebrating Black History and the extraordinary strength and bravery of those that transcended their circumstances. Kwame’s father was an academic and activist in the civil rights movement. In Booked, the sport is football, And in his most recent book, The Door of No Return, the main character, Koffi, is learning how to swim,

Kwame’s novels often use sport as a metaphor for the characters’ struggles or the books’ themes. It is also available in a graphic novel adaptation illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile. Kwame Alexander is an American poet and author of books for children, including the verse novel The Crossover, which was awarded the Newbery Medal in 2015 and is the basis for a new series from Disney Plus (2023).

An american story kwame alexander