The blogger, speaker, and – now – author Chidera Eggerue is set to release her first book on July 26, just months after gaining recognition for her ‘Saggy’ breast campaign.
The book is titled What a Time to be Alone: The Slumflower’s Guide to Why You are Already Enough, and gives advice and empowerment to those who want to build healthy relationships in their lives.
Chidera was the power behind the body-positive campaign #SaggyBoobsMatter, which she created to normalise sagging boobs in mainstream media and for women to celebrate their bodies, even if they deviate from society’s narrow beauty standards. The blogger and MOBO awards presenter share self-portraits on Instagram, often without wearing a bra under her clothes, to highlight that boobs come in all shapes and sizes.
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In her book the name Slumflower, which is the same as Chidera’s blog, comes from the concept of a beautiful things coming out of a rough environment, and was inspired by Street Etiquette’s Slumflower project.
“I was inspired by my angsty and frustrated self – frustrated at people not being able to understand healthy dynamics between other people,” Chidera told the News. “I put these feelings on paper.”
“People kept telling me to write a book,” she continued. “I didn’t think it was serious. I started writing things down about two years ago though, and that was how it started.”
The book is split into three parts: you, them, and us, focusing on the reader and self-worth, others and the struggles they may be facing, and finally the relationships that can be built.
Igbo proverbs and idioms included throughout the book, reflecting Chidera’s Igbo Nigerian upbringing.
The pages are unintentionally un-numbered, since the book should function as a guide, helping the reader from whatever place they may be at, not a rigid step-by-step plan.
“There is a lot of pressure to get your life sorted when you close a self-help book,” said Chidera. “But this book is more of a mirror.”
Chidera was also the power behind the body-positive campaign #SaggyBoobsMatter, which she created to normalise sagging boobs in mainstream media and for women to celebrate their bodies, even if they deviate from society’s narrow beauty standards.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bk3tNBMDzz3/?hl=en&taken-by=theslumflower
“I’m quite a direct person, and I’m also quite bold, tenacious, fearless – this is the attitude I have from being born and raised in Peckham,” Chidera said.
“I love being in Peckham, and being part of the evolution of Peckham. I hope I am living here for the rest of my life.”