Hospital employee with a story to tell
Adebimpe Aderemi’s children encouraged her to put pen to paper and recreate the magical bedtime stories she used to entertain them with as children.
“I’ve always loved reading and telling stories.” said the Ealing Hospital employee who recently saw her first book Tam and Tim Love to Sing published on Amazon.
The mother of two is certainly not short of ideas and, in the space of a year, has written another 14 books following the twins’ adventures.
Adebimpe added: “I keep a notebook to jot ideas down as and when they come to me. Sometimes it is on the bus, walking or when I’m watching TV. Ideas leave my head as quickly as they come into it so you have to be ready!”
She hopes the book’s black characters will inspire other black authors to start writing filling an obvious cultural gap in children’s literature.
“People do have a stereotype of African culture. I remember one publisher asking that I made changes including putting in mud huts and magic.”
Adebimpe worked with a children’s illustrator in Nigeria to bring the book to life.
“The most important thing is that children have positive role models and learn to enjoy reading. There are books all over my house. They have given me so much pleasure over the years.
Has she ever thought about Tam and Tim having one of their adventures in hospital given her role in Ealing’s Acute Medical Unit as an acute floor coordinator?
“Now, there is an idea.”