Details
I am a debut middle-grade Black British writer.
I am educated up to a PhD and have had a career in HR.
In 2021, I completed the Faber Academy Writing a Novel course (online). I was a Faber Children’s FAB Prize Commended Text Winner in October 2021 and was longlisted for the inaugural Jericho Prize in the same year for one of my picture books. In July 2022, I was longlisted for The Literary Consultancy (TLC) Pen Factor.
I have done a number of school/ library visits since Running My Own Race was published. In my school and library visits, I introduce the audience to the book which is a story about family, friendship, gaining courage and going for your dreams.
What have others said about Running My Own Race
The book has been widely reviewed since publication.
In the September 2025 Libraries edition of The Bookseller, it was an autumn pick, recommended by school librarian Lucas Maxwell. He wrote,
"Kofi wants to be “somebody”. He gets his chance when he is accepted at a prestigious private school, but everything is not as easy as it seems on the surface. These are the kinds of books we need in our schools, this is a book our students will devour. We need books that build empathy and understanding, and this is one of them. It’s a beautifully written story that is packed with authenticity. You will be rooting for Kofi as he forges his own path despite myriad obstacles and setbacks. It is a powerful, must-read story."
https://www.thebookseller.com/spotlight/librarians-autumn-picks-2025
Running My Own Race was one of the Books for Topics books of the month in August 2025. https://www.booksfortopics.com/booklists/books-of-the-month/best-books-this-month-august-2025/
It has been reviewed and recommended by the BookTrust
https://www.booktrust.org.uk/book-recommendations/best-new-books/.
Jon Biddle, a year 5/ 6 teacher and English lead, wrote, "Finished reading Running my Own Race by Abena Eyeson with my Y5/6 class last week. They absolutely loved it, and it gave us lots of chances to talk about issues relevant to their own lives. Highly recommended." https://www.threads.com/@jonnybid/post/DPssATnAjF4?xmt=AQF0GLLz1E2gQzD0N10I59AqEtVzGUH00FXIRgNsJoEvmA&slof=1
School and Library visits
I am happy to do school visits to primary schools (Key stage 2) and year 7.
I can do 30-40 minute assemblies based around Running My Own Race, focusing on having dreams and what can stop you achieving them. I can also read from the book, talk about my own life story and journey to becoming a writer as well as having a Q&A with the children. I can offer this for library visits too.
I can offer writing workshops on:
- The opening lines to a book- getting the students to have a go at writing their own story openers.
- Story openers – discussing why I chose the movie and snack combination I used in the opener for Running My Own Race and get the pupils to use that to think about and write story openers using their own movie and snack combinations. What themes does that movie have that might relate to the story they want to write? What does the snack tell the reader about the character eating it?
- Writing in first person and third person – Getting the pupils to write two paragraphs of a story in first person and then in third person.
- What do you need to do to achieve your dream – Get pupils to write about their dreams and what they think they need to do to achieve them?
Fees
I base these on the Society of Authors recommendations.
