Author Ishi Robinson is taking readers on a journey to her beloved Jamaican homeland in her debut novel. I recently spoke with her about Sweetness in the Skin.
Tell me about your latest book.
Sweetness in the Skin is a story about belonging. Pumkin Patterson lives on the wrong side of the tracks in Kingston, Jamaica, with her beloved Aunt Sophie, her indifferent mother, Paulette, and their matriarch, Grandma Cecille. It’s a difficult household, and when tensions rise, Pumkin escapes to the kitchen to bake up the sweet potato puddings, coconut drops and gizzadas that bring her comfort. Sophie and Pumkin are very close, so when Sophie moves to France for work, she promises to send for Pumkin in one year’s time. But there’s a major roadblock: how will Pumkin pay for the journey? In a moment of inspiration, she starts selling her sweet treats – but then her school, her mother, and her conniving father catch wind of the profit she’s making and things start to fall apart…
What inspired you to write it?
I wrote Sweetness in the Skin from a place of deep homesickness and nostalgia
When did you fall in love with the written word?
I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t in love with reading and writing. My dad is a writer and his dad was a writer and everyone in my family, on both sides, is a bookaholic. My mum used to buy me stacks and stacks of books, and I would burn through them so fast that I would start going through her pile. Ten-year-olds should not be reading Jackie Collins! I have been writing stories since I was able to hold a pen.
What’s the best part of being an author?
Recently someone reached out to me on Instagram to share that they loved my book so much they spent 20 minutes looking for a way to get in touch so they could tell me. I can’t describe that feeling of knowing that someone has read my work and loved it so much they took the time to find me and tell me. That’s the best part.
What’s the hardest part of being an author?
Writing! I saw an author say somewhere that they do not like writing, they like having written, and truer words have never been spoken. The act of writing is so…painful! But also so incredibly rewarding, and sometimes so joyous! It’s a complicated thing, and I love it, but it is hard.
What books have you read lately and loved?
My favourite book of 2023 was Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby van Pelt, in which a genius Octopus (you read that correctly) solves the mystery of a decades’ old disappearance. I loved it so much. I just finished The Whispers by Ashley Audrain, which was a devasting portrayal of marriage and motherhood in an upperclass neighbourhood where something has happened and everyone is unravelling. It was gripping and intense, and I loved it.
What book(s) are you most excited to read next?
I have a looooooong TBR list, but I’m really excited to get my hands on Piglet by Lottie Hazell and River Mumma by Zalika Reid-Benta, which should be chockfull of Jamaican folklore
Who would you cast in a movie to play your main characters?
Ideally I’d cast some up-and-coming Jamaican actors, especially because the different accents in the text are important to the story, and I have never met a non-Caribbean person who can pull off an authentic Jamaican accent! But additionally, I’d love to have Sheryl Lee Ralph, who is perfect in everything and is, of course, a yaadie.
What’s next for you?
I’m working on a second book. I thought this would get easier once I’d already written one. (It doesn’t.)
Do you have anything you would like to add?
If you haven’t been to Jamaica, I hope that reading Sweetness in the Skin is like a visit for you, and you can smell the air and taste the food and feel the Jamaican vibe. If you’ve been, I hope it brings back sweet, sweet memories.
Use the Black Fiction Addiction affiliate link to purchase your copy of Sweetness in the Skin.
To learn more about author Ishi Robinson, visit her website or connect with her on social media.
Website: Ishirobinson.com
Instagram: Instagram.com/ishi.ishi.ish
Twitter: Twitter.com/ishi_ishi_ish