What does it look like when joy is reflected in your work?
It looks like this.
Image by Precious Mayowa Agbabiaka
On 26 March 2026, I had the profound honour of co-ordinating the UK Press Launch of Seeking Sexual Freedom by Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah — published by Dialogue Books and made possible through the generous support of Purposeful. And I am still sitting with the warmth of that evening.
There are evenings that linger long after the last glass is cleared. This was one of them.
Image by Precious Mayowa Agbabiaka
On Curating Space Not Just Events
I think a lot about what it means to truly curate a space. Not to fill a room, but to build one - there's a difference.
Held at The Idler at The July in London's Victoria, the launch drew a vibrant crowd of readers, activists, journalists and cultural voices. But the guest list wasn't built on numbers or follower counts. It was built on essence. I wanted the very spirit of Nana to come through in who was in that room not just what was on the page.
We began with a relaxed drinks reception and curated bites. Simple on the surface but intentional underneath. I wanted people to arrive and immediately feel something — the kind of ease that allows for honest conversation. The kind Seeking Sexual Freedom demands.
Centring Blackness wasn't an afterthought it was the foundation to the event itself. The Black British, African and Caribbean diaspora was woven into every layer of this event because I believe that the people in the room tell a story just as powerfully as the story on the page. This was truly about real community and not a performance of it.
Why This Book Matters
Seeking Sexual Freedom takes readers on a journey across the African continent; from Senegal to Tanzania and beyond. Nana meets the gurus, the "witches", the aunties who guide girls through puberty rites and marital training. She explores practices that illuminate the deeply spiritual, gender-fluid nature of many African traditions. This is not a book that flattens or exoticises. It restores complexity. it honours the diversity of African women's experiences of their bodies, their sexuality, their freedom. It is rigorous, yes but it is also deeply personal to Nana and you can feel that on every page.
When I read work like this, I am reminded why stories matter. Not just as cultural artefacts but as acts of liberation. As permission slips for people who have never seen themselves reflected back with this kind of care and complexity.
When Your Work Aligns With Your Values
The evening was made possible through the support of Purposeful — an Africa-rooted global hub for girls' organising and activism. Their involvement felt like alignment in its truest form. A convergence of people who believe the same things.
I talk a lot, in my PR work, training facilitation in my coaching work and in my own life, about the importance of knowing your values so clearly that the right opportunities find you. This experience was that. I didn't have to compromise a single thing to make this evening happen and that is very rare which is why it is worth naming and writing about.
What I Want You to Take From This
I share this not just as a recap but as a reflection because I think it speaks to something I believe deeply about the way we show up in our work. When you know who you are, when your personal brand is rooted in something real and not just a surface-level aesthetic, the work you're drawn to begins to reflect that back to you. I didn't stumble into co-ordinating this launch. I was called to it because of what I stand for, who I show up for and how I move through the world.
That is what I want for everyone I work with. Not just visibility for its own sake. But visibility that is so aligned with your values that it feels like joy. Events like this remind me that purposeful work isn't about the buzz, it's about the belonging.
Thank You
Thank you to every journalist, activist, reader and cultural voice who showed up and opened themselves to the conversation. Thank you to our incredible goodie bag sponsors: @khepergamesinc, @creativeconceptions, @thenaturallovecompany and @fableandfemmeofficial.
And above all thank you, Nana. For writing this book and for trusting me with it and for the reminder of why this work matters.
This is why I do what I do.
Read Seeking Sexual Freedom
Seeking Sexual Freedom by Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah is published by Dialogue Books and available now. Find out more at darkoathewriter.com.
If this post resonated with you and you're ready to build a personal brand rooted in your values, not someone else's version of you, I'd love to work with you get in touch here.