WWB 2017 ‘Ideal Finds’ Holiday Gift List…Giving Has Never Felt So Good!

Dec 2, 2017 by

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Tis the season for giving! I am excited to share my WWB Holiday Ideal Finds with you! After attending exciting trade shows this past year featuring products in beauty, health and wellness, I have discovered some wonderful ‘Ideal Finds’ sure to make your gift giving inspiring and memorable. Always trying to keep things simple, this year you can discover WWB Ideal Finds organized by categories such as self-care, healthy epicurean, conscious beauty and artisan hand made. This will help you choose gifts easily that will match personal interests in wellness lifestyle and culture.

Gifts should feel good to the giver and the receiver, and the best feeling of goodness is knowing your gift was produced with conscious ideals and values. Below is WWB’s ‘feels good’ check list for conscious giving, and this will help you cultivate your personal gift list thoughtfully.  Happy holiday giving and remember to put some positive vibes and good intention into your gift giving. It’s great to shop consciously, but what really matters is bringing joy to the person you are gifting! Have a healthy and happy holiday season…

 

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WWB ‘FEELS GOOD’ CHECK LIST

  • Cruelty Free: No animal was harmed or tested on
  • Sustainable & Eco-Friendly: green, organic and sustainable
  • Beauty, Health & Wellness Without Compromise: Free of harmful chemicals known to harm you
  • Socially Responsible: Fairtrade and Social Mission Retail

 

 WWB GIFT CATEGORIES

 

  • Self Care: Personal care products for calm and relaxation
  • Conscious Beauty: Meets one or more of the ‘feel good’ criteria
  • Healthy Epicurean: Edible treats and food with healthy and organic ingredients
  • Artisan Hand Made: Beautifully Designed, Creatively Crafted, Useful & Enduring
  • Books & Inspirational Gifts: Celebrating Wellness Wisdom, Lifestyle & Culture

 

 

                                          WWBHoliday2017

 

 

 

~SELF CARE

 

 

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Little Moon Essentials

WWB Feels Good Check List: Cruelty Free, Eco-Friendly

Purchase Relax Gift Set Shown 

Also Little Moon Sleep Gifts Set found on Amazon

“All of our products are made with extra attention, love, and care. All ingredients and packaging are certified and planet friendly. Our priority is to provide the highest quality products by avoiding machinery and using our hands from start to finish. We believe in the conservation of the environment and respecting all beings, including our furry friends.  We do not engage with companies that test on animals. We take great care in considering and exploring our sources, as well as timing and harvesting of our 100% pure and natural ingredients.”

 

 

 

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WWB Favorite: Gimme A Break  Gimme A Break™ hand and body lotion is a lemon scented fusion of refreshing sweetness that will help restore yourself from exhaustion and stress. This will give you the energy and spirit it takes to face all of your worldly challenges.

 

 

 

 

 

~HEALTHY EPICUREAN

 

 

 

 

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Elements Truffles 

WWB Feels Good Check List: Socially Responsible, Healthy Epicurean Inspired

“Our chocolates are made with the purest ingredients and intention to spread happiness and love. Our body is made up of five elements – Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether. Ayurveda superfoods help balance these elements and bring about a sense of happiness and peace.”

Purchase Gift Set

SOURCING OF INGREDIENTS

“We take no shortcuts. Our purest ingredients have been selected from Fair Trade manufacturers that fiercely align with our philosophy.
Cacao : Made from finest quality Criollo beans from Peru
Honey : Extracted ethically from hard working local honey bees of New Jersey.”

IMG_E9121WWB Favorite: Elements Truffles Drinking Hot Chocolate Mix Infused with Tumeric. Stock up for the holiday season! Delicious and healthy!

PALAISDESTHESGifts
Savor the Best of Tea

This new tea set with delicate illustrations features a selection of 10 single single-estate teas, handpicked to introduce you to the diverse range of teas around the world. It is provided with an introduction book to tastings.

“Since it was established,  Palais des Thés has maintained a constant presence on the ground, forming lasting relations with growers built on trust and friendship. The environment, sustainable development and fair trade are priority issues for Palais des Thés.”

WWB Feels Good Check List: Socially responsible
 WWB Favorite: Paris for Him. Paris for Her Duo Set  Perfect for the couple throwing the holiday soiree!
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~CONSCIOUS BEAUTY

 

 

 

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 “Since 2009, Thesis has been run by a family of happy vegetarians dedicated to the development of truly organic and natural skin care products at accessible price points. Our goal is helping people with all different skin types achieve healthy-looking, glowing skin.

We took it upon ourselves to develop skincare products that will give you peace of mind and confidence that it’s the best nature has created.”

PURCHASE THESIS CLEANSER ON AMAZON


Here is what you can always count on:

  • Premium certified organic ingredients
  • Formulas that actually work
  • Vegan and cruelty-free
  • Eco-friendly packaging
  • No synthetics. No fillers. No gimmicks.

WWB Feels Good Check List: Cruelty Free, Eco-Friendly, Without Compromise, Socially Responsible

 

 

 WWB FAVORITE: Thesis Makeup Remover Rosemary Citrus Dissolves makeup and dirt with the power of certified organic oils and contains absolutely nothing synthetic, irritating or harmful for your skin. You face feels clean, hydrated and fresh. Made from Organic Ingredients • Gluten-free • Non-GMO • Preservative-free • Vegan • Hypoallergenic • Made from U.S and Imported materials
Purchase Thesis Product on Amazon
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~ARTISAN HAND MADE

 

 
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‘Design Inspired by Living Well’
“To some, living well means spending quality time with friends and family.  To others, it means having a passion to create.  At Stak Ceramics, we believe that living well means both.  We also believe that living well means eating good food, laughing with each other, and supporting each other’s dreams.  We are inspired by the small things in life that often get overlooked.  We draw inspiration from exploring nature, travelling, and interacting with the people we encounter in life.  We continually seek out new techniques and processes to further develop our work.  Our products are designed to add organization, convenience and style to the well lived life.  Everything Stak Ceramics designs and produces is done with great care in Pittsburgh, PA.  We are proud to offer products that are made in the USA and available worldwide.” ~Myles & Heather Geyman
WWB Feels Good Check List: Supports Artisans, Useful
 PURCHASE PRODUCT SHOWN HERE:  STAK Ceramic Bloom Vase
sproutwhiteplantWWB FAVORITE: The Stak Ceramics Sprout Planter Dock   is a fantastic way to brighten up your home or work space with a touch of color and life.  The white planter is the perfect size for most succulents or other small plants.

 

~BOOKS INSPIRING WELLNESS WISDOM

 

 

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Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life

( WWB FALL BOOK WISE PICK 2017 —Read Q&A with Author Here)

“Only staying active will make you want to live a hundred years.” —Japanese proverb

AMAZON OVERVIEW: According to the Japanese, everyone has an ikigai—a reason for living. And according to the residents of the Japanese village with the world’s longest-living people, finding it is the key to a happier and longer life. Having a strong sense of ikigai—the place where passion, mission, vocation, and profession intersect—means that each day is infused with meaning. It’s the reason we get up in the morning. It’s also the reason many Japanese never really retire (in fact there’s no word in Japanese that means retirein the sense it does in English): They remain active and work at what they enjoy, because they’ve found a real purpose in life—the happiness of always being busy.

 

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Lagom: The Swedish Art of Living Well

( WWB Fall 2017 Book Wise Pick–Read Q&A with Author Here)

Amazon Overview: As the Swedish proverb goes, ‘Lagom är bäst’ (The right amount is best). Lagom sums up the Swedish psyche and is the reason why Sweden is one of the happiest countries in the world with a healthy work-life balance and high standards of living.

Lagom is a way of living that promotes harmony. It celebrates fairness, moderation and being satisfied with and taking proper care of what you’ve got, including your well-being, relationships, and possessions. It’s not about having too little or too much but about fully inviting contentment into our lives through making optimal decisions.

Who better than Lola A. Åkerström to be your lagom guide? Sweden-based Lola is an award-winning writer, photographer , and editor-in-chief of Slow Travel Stockholm and she offers us a unique vantage point when it comes to adopting elements of a lagom lifestyle.

Full of insights and beautiful photographs, taken by Lola herself, this authentic book will help you make small, simple changes to your every day life – whether that’s your diet, lifestyle, money, work or your home – so you can have a more balanced way of living filled with contentment.

BONUS GIFT IDEA FOR THE WISE READER IN YOUR LIFE!
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WWB’s ‘Book Wise’ Fall 2017 Surprise: Two Inspiring Books Explore Cultural Ideals and Values for a Life of Happiness & Wellness. Special Q&A with Two International Bestselling Authors…

Nov 2, 2017 by

WWB BOOK WISE FALL 17 (2)

Book Wise Category: Non-Fiction/Wellness Wisdom & Inspiration

 

 

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Author Profile: LOLA A. Akerstrom, Author of ‘LAGOM’, The Swedish Secret of Living Well

Having lived on three different continents — Africa, North America, and now Europe — for extended periods of time, Lola (Akinmade) Åkerström is drawn to the complexities and nuances of culture and how they manifest themselves within relationships.

She holds a master’s degree in Information Systems from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Lola worked as a consultant and programmer for over a decade before following her dreams of becoming a travel writer and photographer, exploring various cultures through food, tradition, and lifestyle.

Today, she’s an award-winning writer, speaker, and photographer represented by National Geographic Creative. She regularly contributes to high profile publications such as AFAR, the BBC, The Guardian, Lonely Planet, Travel + Leisure and National Geographic Traveller, to name a few –
She has received photography and writing awards, including recognition from the Society of American Travel Writers and North American Travel Journalists Association. In addition, Lola is the editor of Slow Travel Stockholm, an online magazine dedicated to exploring Sweden’s capital city in depth.

Author Insight: “For me travel is about being an open minded sponge.”

 

HGAuthor Profile

Héctor García  author of ‘Ikigai’ the Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life, is a citizen of Japan, where he has lived for over a decade, and of Spain, where he was born. A former software engineer, he worked at CERN in Switzerland before moving to Japan, where he developed voice recognition software and the technology needed for Silicon Valley startups to enter the Japanese market. He is the creator of the popular blog kirainet.com and also the author of A Geek in Japan, a #1 bestseller in Japan.

Author Insight: “I enjoy more creating things than consuming them, I’m a dreamer.”

 

 

Laura Connolly, Founder of WWB Opening (aka Lauroly)- It is only when we read books like yours, that we realize how important ‘ideals, values and rituals’ are to a happy society, when they are baked into the culture. Culture is a way of life and a collective mindset. What I enjoyed about both your books, is you manage to distill the little rituals and habits that any person in any culture can adopt. We hope so anyway! The challenge for a big melting pot like the United States, is we have so many cultures within one country, and the only common one we all seem to relate to is our love for success and independence. Starting from this premise, how does a country like the USA adopt ‘wellness mindsets’ like yours when our philosophical pillars are so different? ‘Independence’ as a way of life is very different from an ‘interdependent’ socially connected way of life. How will your prescriptions for happiness and wellness translate to a place like the United States?

Lola: You can tell a lot by a culture based on how it handles stress. I often say that some cultures prioritize fighting stress first so they can be productive while some other cultures try to be productive while working through stress. Sweden (and many Scandinavian countries) fall in the former category while the US falls in the latter category. And what are the sources of stress in our lives? Getting adequate food, shelter, money, healthcare, education, etc, as well as other physiological needs. What happens is, cultural mindsets that prioritize fighting stress first will put structures in place to create as much harmony, order, fair access and organization as possible first, while cultures that fight through stress can create more ingenuity and competitiveness to deal with stress. Both mindsets have their pros and cons. However, Sweden (and other Scandinavian countries) have been consistently ranking in the Top 10 for high quality of life, overall happiness, work-life balance, and other social indices for decades. So there is something we can clearly learn and adopt on some level from their cultural mindsets. This is why it was important for me to tackle the “why” of the lagom mindset on a deeper level in my book, not just “what” a lagom mindset superficially does (i.e., fika recipes, eat cinnamon buns, declutter, etc). A lagom mindset is all about balance and anything that tips that scale heavily to one side or the other (not too much, not too little) can be considered a form of stress so the mindset continually re-calibrates itself (just right) by trimming excess and unnecessary things – be they physical, relationships, or tasks.

Hector: I like to thing in terms of individualism(independence) vs collectivistic mindset. As you say U.S culture is very individualistic and that leads everyone to be always in a mindset of continuous competitiveness. Japan is a very collectivist society, there is competition but at group levels. If you try to be individualistic here and stand upon the group you will most probably fail here. You have to be much more careful and mindful about others by default just by being here embedded in the culture. So, how do you implement a wellness mindset in a place like the United States? I believe it all starts with having an awareness of things. It seems easy but is not. One way to gain awareness is by asking ourselves WHY are we doing certain things. Many times we will realize that we are just doing things to show off or to gain the approval of others (for example checking smartphone first time in the morning is a reaction of wanting to know if we have the approval of others on Facebook, Instagram etc.). Once we have the awareness that we are being driven by a very “independent” mindset the next step is to start finding what we really want to do in life, our IKIGAI. This is also not easy, but one of the first steps is to start by eliminating bad habits from your life. A simple one is to not check your smartphone during the first 2 hours of the day. When you start eliminating bad habits, you will naturally tend to start doing more of the things that you really like and love. Your life will start shifting naturally to your IKIGAI--your reason for living.

Lauroly Q- One of the things I found when reading your books, is both cultures value ‘simplicity’ and ‘nature’. It seems in your cultures, you do not separate the home from nature. In other words, your ‘interdependent’ mentality extends to nature as well. Share with us, how this leads to happiness in the home and the community in your culture…

Lola: Indeed. The Swedish love for nature is rather intrinsic and has been cultivated since youth (as early as kindergarten). Kids are bundled up under layers of clothes and left to play for hours outside regardless of weather (barring full blizzards). Many schools follow an active outdoor program. Babies sleep in strollers outdoors. There are several government policies in place (including Allemansrätten – every man’s right) that allows you to fully enjoy nature, camp. pick berries/mushrooms and use any public land as freely as possible. So Swedes see nature as their home and are proactive in terms of cleaning and taking care of it, just like our physical homes.

Hector: Simplicity is key in Japan. When I arrived here with my European mindset I found Japanese shinto shrines so simple that I was not impressed at all (I was used to European cathedrals and churches). But with time I came to appreciate more and more the beauty of Japanese shinto shrines precisely because of how simple they are. I learned that simple does not mean easy. We humans tend to get attached to all kinds of objects or possessions. Training our minds and souls to be happy with as less as possible is not easy, but once done we will feel freedom in our souls. I will use the same analogy with nature. Japanese shinto shrines are almost always surrounded by nature, even when found in cities, the shrines are filled with trees that cover them in green. Japanese know that nature is not part of life, they understand that nature is life.

Lauroly Q- Daily rituals are a big part of both cultures. Which rituals do you think are driven by the cultural values of your country? Can you connect the value with the ritual? Which ones do you think can translate and work in any culture?

Lola: One of the most notable rituals is the daily act of observing fika – which is breaking several times a day (3-4 times even) to enjoy coffee and a sweet treat with colleagues, friends, or family. While on the surface it may seem like just a sweet tradition, it is a form of re-centering to keep that internal lagom scale balanced. Working too much is an antithesis of lagom. Work-life balance is collectively pushed within the Swedish psyche through lagom. Partaking in fika is an act of re-calibration, so you can carry on processing the day from a point of balance and harmony. The tradition of fika is firmly rooted in lagom.

Hector: One big daily ritual in Japan is to bath in hot water. It is done most of the times before going to bed. It has been shown lately that both hot water baths and saunas 3-4 times per week have many benefits to our health. This is just one of the most common rituals, but Japan in general is a ritualistic culture, in which “micro-rituals” embed the life of everyone. For example, before starting any business meeting there is always the same business card interchange ritual with very precise manners that sets the mood of the meeting. It is not about specific rituals that will change your life, it is more about using rituals or micro-rituals to do things daily without having to be stressed to make decisions or be stressed about doing something. Rituals automate many things in our lives and help us to focus on what is important.

Lauroly Closing- I am so honored to share both your books as ‘Book Wise’ picks at World Wise Beauty. Both books are inspiring and together create a healthy cultural cocktail we can all enjoy and digest. I would suggest including each of them in a loved ones stocking for Christmas. Or each can be given on days of Hanukkah!  Here is to a lovely holiday season full of wellness ideals like slowing down and spending time with family and friends. we have to find a way to make this more of a daily experience in our lives.

Lola Closing: Thanks so much Laura. The beauty of observing how other cultures work and what they do exceptionally well is that we can pick and choose which elements of their mindset we can adopt to make our own lives richer in many ways. Lagom doesn’t hold all the answers in life but what it does hold is the mental key to free us from overt and needless consumerism by paring down what we truly need to be focusing on, buying, or maintaining in our lives.

Hector Closing: Totally agree Laura. We have to slowly shift our awareness from always trying to stand out, be successful and compare ourselves to others to being more present to our friends and family. The more we listen to the people we love, the more they will start also listening back and forgetting a little bit about getting more likes on their social networks. We humans, we are social beings, let’s be together in our lives and not alone and “individualistic”. In a way it can also be something to make us better, since the more love we give the more supported we will feel by the people around us, and the more love we feel, the healthier we will be and the longer we will live. This is what we discovered when visiting Ogimi, the village of the longest living in the world to write our book about IKIGAI. They live in very close communities in which they all support each other. Thank you for featuring us!

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World Wise Beauty Selects the Beautifully Illustrated ‘This Phenomenal Life’ for the Summer Book Wise Pick on the Eve of the Solar Eclipse

Aug 21, 2017 by

phenom-cover11-5_2BOOK WISE Summer 2017 Pick: This Phenomenal Life –the amazing ways we are connected with our Universe’

CATEGORY: Non-Fiction Nature/Science/Art

CULTURE SPOTLIGHT: The Entire Universe

AUTHOR: Misha Maynerick Blaise

Publishers Weekly Review: “Whimsically hip illustrations elucidate wild science-based facts, from the unexpected intimacy we have with fungi on a daily basis, to the similar ways that humans and birds learn to communicate. Powerful evidence of our interconnection with nature combined with beautiful artwork will inspire the reader to look at the world in a whole new way.”

WWB Note: Inspiring, informative and will tickle your mind and spirit!

 
On the eve of the Solar Eclipse, I thought it was perfect timing to announce the Summer ‘Book Wise’ pick. Tomorrow we will view an amazing ‘show in the sky’ and perhaps it will remind us how awesome this universe is, and how we are connected to everything around us. The ‘Book Wise’ Summer selection is an exploration and celebration of this very idea. The title says it all, and the illustrative content is stimulating and delightful. It’s the perfect book to take camping or to the beach, when you are relaxed, and can really contemplate with the author how phenomenal this world really is. The Solar Eclipse couldn’t have come at better time. Perhaps it’s time we all snap out of our self-absorption and unify around one important mission. Let’s save this planet and leave it for many more generations to enjoy and appreciate. The author’s introduction is wonderful and I will share an excerpt below with you. Hopefully it will inspire you to read this book and share it with friends far and wide. A great mission needs a great many friends! Enjoy the Solar Eclipse and find comfort in the fact that millions of us (of multiple ethnicities and political stripes)  across this country will be looking up at the Sun and the Moon together. Now that’s pretty phenomenal! 🙂

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Author Excerpt: ” Few can deny the majesty of a starry sky when gazed upon far from the light pollution of a city, or the thrill of exploring a dense forest miles away from a dreary strip mall. Getting out into nature expands our perspective and revitalizes our spirits. For those of us who live in urban settings, it can sometimes feel like the wilderness is a world away. But the reality is in every moment of every day, no matter where you are, you are deeply connected to the wild, mysterious processes of the universe.”
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WWB’s ‘BOOK WISE’ Gift Ideas Inspiration + Wisdom + Tools for a Healthy and Fulfilling New Year…

Dec 2, 2016 by

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Whether you are thinking about how to improve your overall wellness lifestyle, or you want to encourage a loved one to value their health and well-being, WWB’s ‘Book Wise’ gift ideas are sure to assist you in the mission! My criteria for the ‘ideal book gift’ is three simple things.

Inspiration  + Wisdom  + Tools

Cherry picked especially for you, the following books are from culturally relevant experts in wellness culture and all meet my criteria. They are what I have coined, a WWB Worthwhile Read. Worth your curiosity, worth your time and worth your investment. Most importantly, all the books encourage you to take ownership of your own well-being, and explore best practices for your unique bio-individuality and lifestyle. This matters greatly , because nobody can live your life as well as you!

I encourage you to explore wellness culture, glean wisdom and find tools to design a life of wellness that feels right and works for you. Click on the books below and it will take you to Amazon with full overview of the book. Many of the authors have joined me here for Q&A’s and I provided the links if you are interested in learning more about the authors. Finally, look out a special social event called the A+ Life produced by ‘Rise of Wise’ events, where you can meet and mingle with wellness visionaries, socialize with like minded friends, and find inspiration, wisdom and tools! The event details will be announced early 2017.  Follow this blog to automatically be put on the invitation list!

Hope you give the gift of wellness inspiration this year!  Share the wisdom and be a positive influence on someone’s life.  Or maybe it’s time to take good care of yourself?  Rather than creating a resolutions list this year, why not make a promise to yourself to make your health, happiness and well-being your top priority. Once you make that decision, you can begin to design a lifestyle that supports your priorities. You will never feel more clarity and peace, once you make up your mind. Inspiration, wisdom and tools are out there and I’m here to help you find them! Have a joyous holiday season and a healthy fulfilling New Year…

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Wellness 360/Work/Life/Mindset

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Health & Wellness/Lifestyle/Prevention

WWB Wise Guru/Q&A

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Nutrition, Diet, Wellness, Prevention

WWB Wise Guru Q&A

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Wellness 360 Lifestyle & Mindset

WWB Passioneer/Wise Guru Q&A

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Sleep/Wellness 360 /Lifestyle

WWB Wise Guru Q&A

thepowerofwhen

 

Holistic/Self Care/Nutrition/Beauty

WWB Passioneer Q&A

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Wellness 360/Lifestyle Design

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Health, Wellness & Prevention

WWB Wise Guru Q&A

WWB's 'Book Wise' Pick

 

 

Wellness 360/ Diet/Nutrition

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NEW RELEASE! DECEMBER /PRE-ORDER

Q&A With WWB late December!
Holistic Wellness 360body-wise-book

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WWB’s Fall Book Wise Pick: Imbolo Mbue Author of ‘Behold the Dreamers’ Visits World Wise Beauty and Inspires Dreamers Around the World

Oct 12, 2016 by

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BOOK WISE FALL PICK: Behold the Dreamers

CATEGORY: Fiction

CULTURE SPOTLIGHT: Africa/New York

AUTHOR: Imbolo Mbue

OF NOTE: Book has been optioned for film

Book Wise Pow-Wow: It’s a tough political climate right now in the United States and the immigration topic is a hotbed of conflict between both political parties. Which is why I chose this particular book for our Fall pick. The power of this story takes us out of an  ‘idealogy’ mode and grounds us in real authentic human experience.

The author’s personal story is one we don’t hear enough about in our public discourse about immigration. IMBOLO MBUE is a native of Limbe, Cameroon ( Central Africa). She holds a B.S. from Rutgers University and an M.A. from Columbia University. A resident of the United States for over a decade, she lives in New York City and genuinely loves her city she calls home. Her book’s characters capture the immigrant experience in a raw and emotionally charged way, and is sure to get you thinking about the American Dream in a much wider context. At World Wise Beauty, we love books that offer worldly perspective, make us feel and think deeply, and perhaps make us just a little bit more wiser after reading. ‘Behold the Dreamers’ delivers it all and will not disappoint you. I am honored to do this interview with Imbolo and hope she is an inspiration to any young girl with a dream, but especially to the young immigrant girl or woman who has a gift and a story to share with the world…

 

 

 

Lauroly Introduction: Welcome Imbolo to World Wise Beauty. You are truly an epitome of a World Wise Beauty! Like the characters in your wonderful book you too are an immigrant and came to America from Limbe, Cameroon. Central Africa is a long way from New York and you only moved here just over ten years ago. You are not only a World Wise Beauty, but also a fine example of an immigrant achieving the American Dream! Since our readers have just been introduced to your book, I don’t want to ask too many questions that will be spoilers. I’m very interested in you and believe so many will be inspired by your story. My first question is a series of three! Did you find the America you conjured in your mind as a young girl in Cameroon? What exceeded your expectations? What disappointed you?

 

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Author. Imbolo Mbue ‘Behold the Dreamers’

Imbolo Mbue: Thank you so much for your kind words, Lauroly! World Wise Beauty is a fantastic website and I do appreciate this opportunity to talk to you. Growing up, what I knew of America was mostly based on what I saw on American-imported TV shows. These shows, like “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air,” and “Dallas,” generally depicted people living in material comfort, so I got the impression that there was very little poverty in America and that it was a place where with hard work, anyone could succeed. And I can’t blame this on the shows—it was just my way of analyzing the world.

My understanding of America was also shaped by people from my town who’d migrated to America and returned home to visit with very nice clothes and shoes, and an air of affluence that I attributed to the fact that people were just generally well-to-do in America. Of course, when I came here, I learned very quickly that there are millions living in poverty, and that for many in this country, immigrants included, hard work is simply not enough to live their version of the American Dream. And it’s a tough reality to swallow. That notwithstanding, I do believe this country provides tremendous opportunities to immigrants like myself, opportunities many of us would not have gotten in our homelands.

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Czech Edition of ‘Behold the Dreamers’

Lauroly Q- Did your own experience find its way into your character formations? What many reviewers are saying about your book, is you did such a great job of capturing the immigrant experience as well as a multi-dimensional depiction of the American characters in your story too. All your characters come to life and are fully humanized.

 

Imbolo Imbue: Thank you. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that I’m an immigrant, and I’ve spent a lot of my time in this country around immigrants, so I know what it’s like to leave home and confront the challenges of building a new life in a foreign country. Like the Cameroonian main characters in the novel, Jende and Neni Jonga, I’m from Limbe, Cameroon, and I also lived in Harlem, in a similar neighborhood like where the Jongas lived. I know what it’s like to be low-income in this country and struggling to stretch that last dollar as far as you can, like the Jongas sometimes have to do. I think the challenges the Jongas faced have to do not only with being immigrants but also with being working-class, especially in a place like New York City. While the Jongas and I share a similar background, their story was, however, mostly inspired by various immigrants and working-class Americans who I had opportunities to converse with—friends and acquaintances and strangers who I found myself sitting next to in parks and bus stops, all of whom gave me a great gift by telling me their stories.

Lauroly Q– You have been working hard since you arrived in the United States. You hold a Bachelor’s degree from Rutgers and a Master’s degree from Columbia University in New York. Were you one of those lucky girls who knew you wanted to be a writer from a young age and set your sights on a writing career? Did you receive a lot of support and encouragement from your family back in Cameroon? What shaped the trajectory of your personal success story?

 

Imbolo Mbue: Oh no! I never considered being a writer as a young girl. I didn’t even know that being a writer was a career choice because I’d never met anyone who was a writer until I moved to New York City in my early 20s. I knew there were people who wrote books, because I read a lot of books, but I never thought about who these people were, and how they came about to write a book. Even after I read Toni Morrison’s “Song of Solomon” and became inspired to start writing, it wasn’t so much to become a writer as it was to just enjoy writing the same way I enjoy reading. I’d been writing for 12 years before my first short story was published and then about two years later my novel was published. So it basically took 14 years from the time I first started writing fiction to the time my first novel came out. And in that period, I wrote hundreds of pages that are still sitting my computer.

If I had a publishing goal, perhaps I would have done some things differently—maybe take a few classes or workshops—but then again, I believe it was best for me to take my time to slowly develop. “Behold the Dreamers” took five years for me to complete, from when I first got the inspiration to when I did the final correction, and I think I needed that amount of time. Excellence is every important to me. Simply completing a task is not enough—I want to look at what I’ve done and believe I did an excellent job.

 

voicivenirlesreveurs_imbolombue

French Edition of “Behold The Dreamers’

 

Lauroly Q-  Wow! I am always impressed by the time many brilliant authors like you commit to their book. I’ve read your book is being optioned for a film. Who would you trust to produce and direct the film? It must be so hard to let go of your ‘baby’ and hope the story translates well to film.

 

Imbolo Mbue: Yes, the “baby” is gone! I think this “baby” now belongs to the reader, and every reader is going to have his/her own interpretation. If the book ever becomes a movie, the producers and directors will have their own interpretation, and some of their interpretation might surprise me, but I’ll be too happy seeing these characters come to life that I don’t suppose I’ll think much about it.

 

ziededromers

Dutch Edition off ‘Behold The Dreamers’

Lauroly Closing: What a beautiful attitude to have about releasing your story to the readers and interpreters. Thank you so much for joining me Imbolo. I am thrilled to featured your book as WWB’s Fall ‘Book Wise’ selection and honored to have the opportunity to chat with you here. Wishing you the best with all your future endeavors and continued happiness in America..

 

Imbolo Mbue: Thank you, Lauroly. The honor is all mine!

 

 

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