Events and Media
Readings and More
- Stories that Empower with Seth Fajardi — August 20 .
- The Avenue at North Avenue Presbyterian Church — August 19 .
- Dime Grinds Reading Author Meet-and- Greet — August 3 (virtual).
- Author Talk and Book Signing at A Small Place Bookshop — May 24, moderated by Zainab Turay
- Meet Your Local Author @ Virginia Highland Books — Ask your friendly local author, Malaika, questions about the writing life, writing technique, and more.
- BOOK LAUNCH! — April 17, 7 PM, Eagle Eye Books in Decatur. Join authors Malaika Cheney-Coker and Robert Gwaltney for a conversation on the novel, the story behind the scenes, and more. Register here.
In the News
Bold Journey Magazine — Meet Malaika, Writer and Social Impact Consultant
Visit Sierra Leone.org — Q&A with Malaika Cheney-Coker regarding her debut novel – Creature of Air and Still Water
Decaturish— Scottdale Resident Publishes First Novel
The Atlanta Voice — Author Malaika Cheney-Coker explores family, grief, and forgiveness in debut novel
VoyageATL — Inspiring Conversations with Malaika Cheney-Coker of Ignited Word
For Bookstores, Bookclubs and Media
Contact the author to request one of the following conversation topics:
A Freetown that never sleeps
Inspired by the return journey of Seth, a young immigrant from Sierra Leone and protagonist of the novel, Creature of Air and Still Water, this literary odyssey takes you into the streets and beaches of Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown. Through the author’s commentary and readings of excerpts, during this interactive session the audience will experience the raggedness, beauty, and unceasing bustle of this historic city that was founded as a settlement for freed slaves.
anatomy of a watchful novel
By keenly observing the day-to-day and decade-by-decade manifestations of the human condition, literary fiction–both the reading and the writing of it–stirs us in the deepest places. But how do literary writers effectively convey such observations both in their prose and the structure of their novels? Through excerpts from the novel, Creature of Air and Still Water, this interactive session will reveal the “anatomy of a watchful novel” to readers and wannabe writers, so as to inspire their powers of observation.
when immigrants undream america
In the novel Creature of Air and Still Water, protagonist Seth does the unthinkable – he abandons his successful life in America to return to his impoverished homeland. But in Sierra Leone, he finds that he does not fit in as before, and his experience becomes an indirect commentary of the complexities of modern immigration and emigration and the quest for belonging. Explore these themes along with their significance for our society, with author Malaika Cheney-Coker.
Ask Your Local Author
Everyone knows we need to have plumbers, tax advisors, and teachers in our midst – and the same is true for writers! Writers have more to offer than the books they write and can share insights that could help you with your own writing, relationships, or curiosity about the writing process. Ask your local author Malaika Cheney-Coker questions about the writing life, the peculiar trade of writing literary novels, how to jumpstart your own writing, and more.
