Case study: News anchor’s chance meeting unites him with enriching American Samoan relatives
My Cousin Is a Chief in Samoa: The unlikely adventures of a Dane in Polynesia by Johannes Langkilde, with Cathrine Errboe, is a family story born from a chance meeting.
The life-story book tells how well-known journalist Langkilde grew up in cold, windswept Denmark hearing stories of faraway relatives on the tropical islands of Samoa – one of them a real live chief!
However in 2016 he suddenly found himself face to face with Fagafaga Daniel Langkilde of American Samoa while covering a political convention in the United States of America.
So keep reading to find out how a spark ignited between the two distant cousins, how the Wendila publication began plus tips for your own creating …
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Johannes Langkilde’s My Cousin Is a Chief in Samoa
A very personal story
I’m age 46, born and raised in Denmark.
But I studied jazz piano in France and lived four years in Washington D.C. where I was Bureau Chief for Danish Broadcasting Corporation.
Also I’m a TV journalist but I spend much of my time playing jazz when I’m not writing books or having fun with my two kids and my wife.
Certainly my most recent book My Cousin Is a Chief in Samoa is the most personal story I’ve told so far and it is a huge milestone.
Today, I’m anchoring the evening news on national Danish TV, hosting debates, election nights and my own political talkshow.
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Why I started this life story
I always knew that I had family in the Polynesian islands because my father told me about it when I was a kid.
But neither he nor I ever knew to what extent and how amazing the story actually is.
However when faith brought me and my Samoan cousin, Chief Fagafaga Daniel Langkilde, together during a work trip in the US, I felt that the Universe was giving me a firm kick in the butt telling me to travel to Samoa and finally meet the whole clan.
So I started planning the trip and along the way it was clear to me that I needed to write My Cousin Is a Chief in Samoa about this adventure.
Most importantly, my family was on board from the second I told them about my meeting with Fagafaga Daniel.
Without doubt they absolutely wanted to come along on my research trip to the Samoan islands.
Starting My Cousin Is a Chief in Samoa
A deep dive into history
Planning the trip and researching for My Cousin Is a Chief in Samoa took me several years.
In short, it isn’t difficult per se to travel to Samoa but I needed a plan before going.
First I needed to dig up as much information as possible about my ancestor Hans Alfred Langkilde.
Indeed Hans started the whole thing by leaving Denmark under dramatic circumstances in the 18th century to end up in Samoa where he married the chief’s daughter.
So I spent months going through historic archives with my partner on the project, Cathrine, and we got in touch with many people around the world who could help us map out Hans Alfred’s life and journey.
Also I learned everything I could about Samoan culture before travelling so I was able to get the most out of our time there as possible.
Overcoming creative challenges
Certainly the hardest part of My Cousin Is a Chief in Samoa was right in the beginning when I signed the book contract (for the Danish version) with the major Danish publisher, Gyldendal.
From that moment there was no turning back.
However I realised that I had started something amazing but also one of the most complex and personal endeavors during my time as a journalist.
Indeed I have been a news anchor and correspondent for almost two decades.
But I’ve never opened up to my personal life as I have with this book. That frightened me.
Reaping life-story rewards
The most rewarding part has been getting responses from folks all over the world who read My Cousin Is a Chief in Samoa and were touched by it.
Especially my Samoan family, of course, who have a unique connection to the story since this is their heritage.
But getting emails from Germany, Switzerland, USA, Sweden and many other places where readers tell me about their experience with the story and how they were touched by certain aspects is incredibly rewarding.
Looking ahead I hope the book will be picked up by many more readers and that the story will inspire and touch them as it has changed my own perspective on life, love, religion and family.
Reflecting on My Cousin Is a Chief in Samoa
My favourite story
My favorite chapter in My Cousin Is a Chief in Samoa is the one where our family’s talking chief Tony takes me to a ceremony for a deceased friend of the family.
At that time it was a year since he passed and his family held a ceremony and party to honour the friendships their father and husband had while he lived.
I found it to be such a beautiful tradition.
In short, it was a party where the family thanked and honoured all the people who had a special place in the deceased’s life.
Certainly experiencing this and learning about my Samoan family’s relation to God, death, life and family inspired me tremendously and has in many ways changed my life.
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Tips for life-story creators
Instead of saying “I should write a book about this”, say “I will write a book”.
So many people have amazing stories to tell but somehow feel the task is too overwhelming to actually do it.
The first step is the most vital part but then it can also be a big help to see the whole project as many small steps towards the final goal.
Therefore break it down into many small projects and don’t think about it as a book project.
That is to say planning, research, networking, travel planning, planning the chapters, writing them one by one, editing, choosing pictures, clearing copyright issues, choosing a cover and all that are merely small isolated projects that combined will end up as your book.
To sum up, eat the cake piece by piece and don’t try to swallow it all at once.
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Final say
My Cousin Is a Chief in Samoa: The unlikely adventures of a Dane in Polynesia by Johannes Langkilde, with Cathrine Errboe, is an enriching tale through the ages.
However it is also a thrilling story that shows family connections running deep across oceans and generations.
So find out for yourself by grabbing a copy today from Amazon.
Also visit Langkilde’s website for more details and connect with him on Facebook or Instagram.
Happy writing!
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