Rachel Faturoti is a writer who knows how to hold space for Black girls finding their voices …
Her latest release, Black Dolls Vol. 1, illustrated by Flo Woolley and published by BKMRK, marks her debut in the graphic novel space. At the heart of it is a Black, all-girl pop-punk band, navigating the noise of family, friendship, and the music industry, while rewriting the rules of who gets to be loud, complex, and in control.
With influences ranging from We Are Lady Parts to viral TikToks of Black women in rock spaces, Faturoti brings together rebellion, sisterhood, grief, and joy and channels it into a visual and emotional experience that hits deep.
We spoke about how Black Dolls came together, what it’s like working in different formats, why punk needs more Black representation, and how creative chaos can lead to powerful stories.
Please introduce yourself…
Hi. My name is Rachel Faturoti. I’m a British-Nigerian author and a creative writing facilitator in a Young Offenders Institute (YOI).
Describe your life right now in a word or a sentence…
It is organised chaos.
Why are we here?
We’re here to talk about my new young adult graphic novel, Black Dolls Vol. 1 which I created in collaboration with illustrator Flo Woolley and published last week.
How did the idea for Black Dolls Vol. 1 break through the noise of all the stories you could have told?
A few years ago, the show We are Lady Parts came out and then I saw a video of a Black woman, a rocker, killing it on the bass on TikTok. It took me back to when I was a teen who loved rock music but didn’t see many Black bands, so I decided to write Black Dolls. I haven’t seen many graphic novels like this one, so why not now.
You’ve given us an all-Black, all-female pop-punk band, rebellious, complicated, messy, brilliant. What drew you to this intersection of punk, girlhood and Blackness?
Because you can be misjudged and misunderstood in all these areas. Punk is about rebelling and challenging the systems in place. Black Dolls gives a group of Black girls the voice to say what they need and want to say in a world where Black people’s voices are regularly silenced.
The music industry in the book feels bold and loud but also brutal. What real-world observations or experiences fed into that portrayal?
I grew up listening to some amazing musicians. Many years later, these women have come out to speak on the abuse they suffered in the hands of people in the music industry. I wanted this graphic novel to explore not only the mistreatment of artists in the music industry, but to scrutinise the industry itself.
The group dynamic in Black Dolls is pure chaos in the best way. Rivalries, family drama, identity questions. Which character was the easiest to write?
Sassy was the easiest to write. She’s outspoken, confident and knows what she wants (sometimes).
Which one tested your patience?
The hardest character to write was Silvee. Silvee is of mixed heritage (Nigerian and Korean) and she’s neurodivergent. I wanted to portray her as accurately as I could, which took research, speaking with others and lots of rewriting.
There’s a lot of humour and heart, but also sharp critique about fame, family, even influencer culture. What were you most intentional about saying?
Life can be complicated in all its form, that’s what I wanted to say. Fame, family and even the influencer culture have both negative and positive elements. It’s all complicated.
Pop-punk isn’t the first genre people associate with Black women. What conversations or cultural touchstones helped you shape the characters and their world?
People may not associate pop-punk with Black women, but they should. We’ve been in the rock space for a while with musicians like Skin and Fefe Dobson. The characters were shaped by women who have existed and are trailblazers in that space. In the world of Black Dolls, a group of Black pop-punk rockers are visible and seen.
Graphic novels are all about showing and telling, how did you make sure the characters’ voices didn’t get lost in all the visuals?
This was the hardest part for me. I’ve always loved dialogue, but at the same time, I’m a very visual person so it was all about finding the balance. And this is where Flo, the illustrator, was so key. They were great at pointing out when things needed to be shown rather than said or vice versa.
The title Vol. 1 suggests we’re just getting started. What can you share about what’s next?
We’re getting more chaos, more complex relationships and more growth from the band, but more importantly, we’re seeing them finding their own paths.
We’re seeing more space being carved out for Black stories in comics and graphic novels. But there’s still a long way to go. What does true representation look like to you especially for young Black readers?
True representation is for Black stories to be everywhere and in abundance. I want stories where Black people are in space or out in nature or even fighting dragons. Everything and everywhere.
GETTING TO KNOW YOU …
What’s made you sad, mad, and glad this week? Sad – hearing about more missing Black girls. Mad – innocents being killed. Glad – release of new music.
What are you watching? Ironheart.
What are you reading? This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno.
The last film you watched? The Time Traveler’s Wife.
The last play you saw? One Way Out.
The last live music event you attended? My first ever Kpop concert.
What’s currently on your music playlist? A bit of everything.
Which song are you listening to on repeat at the moment? War and Peace by Senseless Optimism.
What’s on your bucket list? To see the Northern Lights in Iceland.
Where’s your happy place? In my bed with a good book.
Celebrate someone else, who’s doing great work right now? Jasmine Richards.
Celebrate yourself … For surviving.
What’s next? More creating.
Where can we find you? Authorrachelfaturoti (instagram or On my website (rachelfaturoti.com).