Natasha Bowen is a Nigerian-Welsh writer and teacher. She writes

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...

books for young adults. She is best known for her '' New York Times Bestselling'' novel '' Skin of the Sea''.

Early life and education

Natasha Bowen was born in

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a College town, university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cam ...

, England, to a Nigerian

Yoruba The Yoruba people (, , ) are a West African ethnic group that mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitute ...

father and a Welsh mother. She grew up in Cambridge with little exposure to her Nigerian heritage, with which she would later connect in life and use in writing her novel. She studied Creative Writing at

Bath Spa University Bath Spa University is a public university in Bath, England, with its main campus at Newton Park, about west of the centre of the city. The university has other campuses in the city of Bath, and one at Corsham Court in Wiltshire. The insti ...

. After graduating, she moved to East London, where she became a teacher.

Personal life

Bowen has three children. She lives in the UK with her family.

Career

Bowen's debut novel '' Skin of the Sea'', the first book in the ''Of Mermaid and Orisa series'' inspired by her Nigerian heritage,

African folklore The Culture of Africa is varied and manifold, consisting of a mixture of countries with various tribes that each have their unique characteristic from the continent of Africa. It is a product of the diverse populations that inhabit the contine ...

Yoruba culture Distinctive cultural norms prevail in Yorubaland and among the Yoruba people.Kola Abimbola, Yoruba Culture: ''A Philosophical Account'', Iroko Academic Publishers, 2005. Art Sculpture The Yoruba are said to be prolific sculptors, famous for ...

, and her love for

mermaid In folklore, a mermaid is an aquatic creature with the head and upper body of a female human and the tail of a fish. Mermaids appear in the folklore of many cultures worldwide, including Europe, Asia, and Africa. Mermaids are sometimes ass ...

s, was published on 2 November 2021 by

Random House Random House is an American book publisher and the largest general-interest paperback publisher in the world. The company has several independently managed subsidiaries around the world. It is part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by Germ ...

. She wrote the novel while teaching full-time in a school. The novel follows Simi, a Mami Wata who travels across sea and land in search of the Supreme Creator after breaking a law that threatens the existence of all Mami Wata. The book entered the ''New York Times'' and Indie bestseller lists and received several positive reviews from book reviewers who praised the novel for its similarities with The Little Mermaid and the use of Black mermaids and Yoruba culture to show the

Transatlantic Slave Trade The Atlantic slave trade, transatlantic slave trade, or Euro-American slave trade involved the transportation by slave traders of enslaved African people, mainly to the Americas. The slave trade regularly used the triangular trade route and i ...

. A sequel titled ''Soul of the Deep'' is scheduled for release on September 27, 2022.

Bibliography

Of Mermaid and Orisa Series * '' Skin of the Sea''. (November 2, 2021) Random House * ''Soul of the Deep''. (forthcoming, 2022) Random House

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bowen, Natasha 21st-century British women writers 21st-century Nigerian novelists 21st-century Welsh novelists British fantasy writers British writers of young adult literature Date of birth missing (living people) Living people Nigerian fantasy writers Nigerian novelists Nigerian women writers Welsh people of Nigerian descent Year of birth missing (living people)