55 pages • 1 hour read
Skin of the Sea
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Background
Cultural Context: Yoruba Culture and Myth
Skin of the Sea is based on the culture and traditions of the Yoruba people. The Yoruba people are an ethnic group of West Africa, primarily living in the southwestern part of Nigeria. In researching the book, Bowen relied on history texts and the work of Black scholars to flesh out the world, paying particular attention to the Ifá spiritual system of deities. In myth, Mami Wata is a water spirit common across West Africa, but some depictions show Mami Wata as a specific deity, of which Yemoja (present in Skin of the Sea) is one. In the 1400s, when Skin of the Sea is set, it was believed that Yemoja and Mami Wata followed slave ships, either destroying them or collecting the souls of the dead to bring back to Olodumare. Bowen was inspired by the collection of souls. She created the seven Mami Wata that Yemoja made to help with this task and used Simi’s choice to rescue a living boy as the event that jumpstarts Skin of the Sea’s major conflicts.
Bowen also borrowed from the culture of the Yoruba people. Yoruba people incorporated fractals, repeating patterns that suggest infinity, in their architecture and clothing. When Europeans first journeyed to the Yoruba region, they viewed these patterns as primitive, but scholars suggest these patterns showed an understanding of mathematics that was not discovered in Europe until much later. Hair styles also play a large role in African culture, and Bowen shows different styles and patterns of braids throughout the book. The wrappers Bowen’s characters wear are traditional clothing of the time, and, as with hair styles, the pattern and colors of a wrapper have cultural and situational significance.
Cultural Context: Young Adult Literature and Representation
In the last several years, publishing has moved toward more inclusive stories rather than limiting the positive focus to primarily white characters. In particular, works of classic literature tended to portray nonwhite characters and characters of other marginalized groups negatively, often relying on stereotypes and long-standing biases. While the shift toward inclusive books expands across genres and readerships, young adult books have led the way in terms of diverse and inclusive books, thanks largely in part to movements like #WeNeedDiverseBooks. Research shows that readers respond and relate more to stories in which they see themselves portrayed positively, and in Skin of the Sea, Bowen creates a world where teens who identify as Black, Yoruba, or West African will see themselves in a primary and positive role.
While young adult literature moves toward a more diverse catalogue of books with characters ranging across cultures and identities, there is still work to be done in the publishing industry. Skin of the Sea is a book written about a young adult for young adult readers, but there are many books written for adults that get shuffled into the young adult category because they include nonwhite primary characters. As with the general need for more diverse books, this problem is slowly being resolved as more authors from diverse backgrounds publish more books and as the self-publishing space continues to grow. Major publishers are still largely run and staffed by white employees, but the publishing of Skin of the Sea and its sequel by Random House (one of the largest publishing houses in the world) shows both young adult and diverse books finding space in the industry.
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