Hi everyone, I’m Enjema Ngende, a Cameroonian writer .
I’m the author of Adventures of KOKO, my very first book, and the first in a series of three. This book was honestly forged under fire. It didn’t just come out of nowhere.
I’ve always loved reading. I wouldn’t say I was born reading, but as early as I can remember, maybe age three, I was already hooked to stories. I grew up in a storytelling culture. My family used to sit outside under the moonlight, especially during power outages, just telling stories. Those were some of my best memories. That’s where the love for stories was born.
By the time I was 11, I was completely addicted to novels. I started writing small stories here and there, just bits and pieces. I knew one day I’d write a book. But surprisingly, it didn’t happen for a long time. I went through a dry spell, years where I lost all interest in reading and writing. I couldn’t explain it, but I could only engage with stories through movies.
It wasn’t until 2020, during the pandemic, that the spark came back. I had this idea to write children’s stories. I remembered a movie I watched in 2008, Wall-E, where humans had become so automated and emotionally numb, while robots were gaining feelings. Back then I thought it was just exaggerated sci-fi. But in 2020, that future felt so real. People were trapped indoors, losing their health, their joy, their community. Everyone was on screens. Life was becoming automated, cold.
That’s when I remembered my own childhood: running, playing, laughing. I wanted to write a book that captured that joy again. At first, it was just going to be about childhood games, but the story felt flat. As I was going through intense spiritual warfare at the time, I wove mystery and spiritual adventure into the story, and it came alive.
I’ve been a born-again Christian for many years, but the warfare I faced while writing this book, wow. I’ve never experienced anything like it. I started seeing how real the spiritual realm is. Not just in theory, real. Before, I used to think people exaggerated, especially in Africa where everything unexplained is labeled “witchcraft.” But after fighting this battle for over three years, I can tell you: demons are real. But God is far more powerful.
This book came out of that warfare. Even trying to get it published and into stores has been a spiritual fight. My graphic designer and I have had to push through serious resistance. But we’re still standing.
So yeah, that’s my story. Adventures of Koko is more than just a children’s book. It’s joy, it’s mystery, it’s warfare, and it’s worship.
