18 - Onyinye Iwu - Black British author, illustrator, and secondary school teacher episode artwork

EPISODE · Jul 6, 2025 · 33 MIN

18 - Onyinye Iwu - Black British author, illustrator, and secondary school teacher

from My Words, My Book · host Laura Henry-Allain MBE

Onyinye talks about her debut book as an author/illustrator, The Best Jollof Rice Ever! and shares how although she has illustrated many books, this is her first published as an author. Onyinye also talks candidly about the racism she faced as a Nigerian child growing up in Italy and being ashamed of her culture and race. She explains why books like The Best Jollof Rice Ever! will help every child to develop a positive sense of self. And of course, there is the question of which rice is best: Nigerian or Ghanaian? Onyinye Iwu is a Black British author, illustrator, and secondary school teacher based in London. She's worked with top publishers and illustrated books by acclaimed authors including Benjamin Zephaniah, Atinuke, and me, Laura! Her author-illustrator debut, The Best Jollof Rice Ever! celebrates friendship, fun and the joy of cooking. EYFS, KS1, KS2  Tapestry, our partners have kindly devised a FREE educational resource to support this Podcast. Please click on the link to download and share: https://tapestry.info/laura-henry-allain-podcast-activities/ Tapestry is the original and leading childhood education platform, providing an online learning journal, progress monitoring and management system for Early Years settings and primary schools. It helps educators to celebrate children and engage families in mainstream and SEND provision. Tapestry keeps families in touch with how their child is doing, enables educators to build a picture of each child's development and interests, and provides the tools for the daily running of a setting. Created by educators for educators, Tapestry was launched in 2012. We are now an award-winning platform used in more than 40 countries, supporting 14,000 schools and settings. Visit us at: https://tapestry.info

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18 - Onyinye Iwu - Black British author, illustrator, and secondary school teacher

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