Totally Booked with Zibby Lolá Ákínmádé Åkerström, BITTER HONEY
Nov 6, 2025
Lolá Ákínmádé Åkerström, a Nigerian-American author and award-winning travel writer based in Stockholm, shares insights into her novel Bitter Honey, delving into themes of family secrets and generational trauma. She discusses the challenges of maintaining creativity during personal upheaval and the impact of fame on identity. Lolá reveals her inspirations for writing, including her upcoming travel-centered novel. Additionally, she highlights her photography project celebrating Afro-Swedish identity and offers travel recommendations from Uzbekistan to Croatia.
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Secrets Shape Identity
- Bitter Honey explores how family secrets shape identity across generations.
- Lola shows that hidden truths can fracture relationships and self-understanding.
Side Characters Became A Book
- Nancy and Tina began as side characters in Lola's earlier novels and inspired this standalone story.
- Lola dug deeper into a brief line about a mother meeting a professor to write this book.
Grieve, Then Rebuild Deliberately
- Give yourself grace and time to grieve when life derails you.
- Then pick up the best pieces and deliberately make your new life beautiful.
