Lola Akinmade Åkerström's Blog

"If you could wake up excited every morning and do the one thing that you love everyday, what would it be?"

The post The synergy between your WHAT, WHY & HOW first appeared on Lola Akinmade.

Thoughts on picking my focus word for 2025... Every year, I pick out a focus word. A word that governs various aspects of my life...

The post My Focus Word for 2025 first appeared on Lola Akinmade.

For my focus word this year, I picked “TRUST”. When I picked it, I said I was going to start 2024 with a blank slate of trust and flow.

The post Reflecting on my year of trust first appeared on Lola Akinmade.

LọLá Ákínmádé’s ‘Compelling And Propulsive’ Third Novel, Bitter Honey, Goes To Head Of Zeus

The post LọLá Ákínmádé’s ‘Compelling And Propulsive’ Third Novel, Bitter Honey, Goes To Head Of Zeus first appeared on Lola Akinmade.

Dagens Nyheter: Lola Akinmade Åkerström - "Sweden is the most open society run by the most private people"

The post ENGLISH VERSION: Dagens Nyheter: Lola Akinmade Åkerström – “Sweden is the most open society run by the most private people” first appeared on Lola Akinmade.

PROLOGUE

It lands upside down on its shell. That hadn’t been his intention.

Johan squats. The soil, too dirty for his knees. He’d thrown it a little too roughly. The snail struggles atop the pile of fellow gastropods. A mini hill of about twenty he’d been gathering all morning, his six-year old fingers gingerly pulling each snaíl off its spot. Carefully avoiding the earth, he picks up the snail.

“Johan!”

That voice. Too rough for his ears. It’s sharp, shrill. It hurts him when she calls him. Like Farmor Svea’s needles. Dozens of her sewing needles jabbing in his ear. He pricked his finger once. No tears fell, but that sensation, he’ll never forget.

“Johan!” Astrid’s voice is firm. From the corner of his eyes, he sees her tramping over towards him. A flash of blue. Cerulean. He likes this particular shade. He ignores her and continues stacking his snails. He runs a finger over the smooth shell, loving its texture. He could spend hours collecting them if Astrid didn’t come screaming his name.

He feels her shadow bearing down over him. He doesn’t bulge.

“Johan, what have I told you about those disgusting creatures?” Astrid is breathless once she reaches him. She is never breathless. His au pair usually does the running.

He doesn’t respond. She presses on. “Come here,” she’s terse. “We need to get ready.”

She reaches for his shoulder. He pulls away sharply and flies to his feet. She knows not to touch him. He wonders why she did it.

Johan peers at her, his eyes matching hers, laser focus. She doesn't back down from their standoff. His little fingers curl into fists by his side as he stares her down.

“Johan?”

It happens swiftly. So suddenly Astrid gasps. He crushes them all, his right foot stamping only once. All those tiny snails he’d collected with love.

He follows it with a blood-curdling scream.


Lola Akinmade Åkerström

Every year, I pick out a focus word. A word that governs various aspects of my life that year in lieu of resolutions...

The post My focus word for 2024 first appeared on Lola Akinmade.

What a year. Wars. Unfathomable suffering. Hate. Bigotry. Genocides. Natural disasters. People dying way too young. Right-wing rising. Decades of trying to create equity eroding. Emotional and mental breakdown at every turn. After every news report. 2023 is certainly one I will never forget. I started the year with a month of rest. That was …

Read more "Reflecting on my year of grace"

The post Reflecting on my year of grace first appeared on Lola Akinmade.

I'm so excited to finally announce the dates of the official book tour for my upcoming novel EVERYTHING IS NOT ENOUGH.

The post Official book tour dates for EVERYTHING IS NOT ENOUGH first appeared on Geotraveler's Niche - Lola Akinmade Åkerström.

A partnership with ASUS ten years in the making...

The post Collaboration with ASUS first appeared on Geotraveler's Niche - Lola Akinmade Åkerström.