Nigerian British poet Theresa Lola (TL), a poet, workshop facilitator and accountant, was recently announced as the joint winner of the prestigious 2018 Brunel International African Poetry Prize. In this interview with Pride Magazine Nigeria (PNG), Theresa tells us how she came to be a prize-winning poet, what winning the prize means to her, and how she thinks the winning will impact her career going forward.
PNG: Thank you for granting us this interview. Can you tell us about your background, where you were born and where you grew up?
TL: I am delighted, thank you for having me. I was born in Nigeria, and lived in Mushin for about 8 years, then moved to Ilupeju and lived there for 5 years, before relocating to the UK aged 13. I’m still a Mushin girl at heart, the things I witnessed and the people I encountered will stay with me forever.
PNG: What about your education – primary, secondary and tertiary education? Did you enjoy your school years?
TL: It wasn’t until late secondary school and university that I began finding my voice and feeling confident in myself. It felt like I was always moving, I didn’t have time to settle and make friends, but then again I was a reclusive shy girl who didn’t know how to connect with people, so I was pretty much the uncool but smart one. I went to Pampers primary school in Surulere, then switched primary schools after moving houses, then went to Corona Secondary School, I was in boarding school so lived in dorm rooms, again after 3 years I left for the UK to continue secondary school education, even there I switched schools twice, technically attending 4 secondary schools, before going to Hertfordshire University to study Accounting and Finance.
PNG: There are quite a number of writing genres. Why poetry as the genre to express yourself?
TL: Interesting enough I started with just the love for writing stories, so I started with short stories and scripts where I would pretend Will Smith was the star. It all boiled down to wanting a form of writing that could capture the fleeting stories of being a reclusive teenager.
PNG: When did you begin writing poetry, and how do you get your inspiration for your poems?
TL: I attended the Lagos Poetry Festival in 2007 after being encouraged by a teacher who knew I loved writing. At the festival I loved the way each poem was small yet contained so much power and depth, and that’s when I knew poetry was the form of writing I wanted to focus on. My inspiration is from the questions I do not ask aloud, the complexities of human decisions, I observe anyone from family to friends, to myself, I love writing about the search for answers.
PNG: You have just won the Brunel International African Poetry Prize which aims to provide a platform for Africa’s finest unpublished poets. Why did you decide to enter the competition?
TL: I wanted to enter the prize because of what it represents in putting forward the best writers from Africa. It was a challenge also, I had to ask myself who I was writing for, and I maintain my Nigerian Identity as it means so much to me, I had to enter the prize. Previous winners also served as inspiration.
PNG: Did you expect to win?
TL: I genuinely don’t know. I only expected to tell myself I had tried my best. When I received the email I had won, I was in shock, I read back my poems, and began to convince myself my best was enough.
PNG: One of the criteria for submission to the Brunel Prize is that each poet submits 10 pieces of work. How did you choose your 10 best poems for submission?
TL: The act of putting together 10 poems allowed me to think through what my story was and what represented me the most. The chose 10 poems that felt like a narrative story of some of the things I have observed in life that has made me what I am today.
PNG: Of the 10 poems, which do you consider your favourite and why?
TL: Probably “Portrait of Us As Snow White” because it’s a poem that dates back to boarding school in Nigeria which was where I began writing poetry, so reading it always bring back nostalgia.
PNG: What does winning this prize mean to you and how do you think it will impact your writing career?
TL: The prize bolstered my confidence and it means a lot to represent Nigeria also. I can’t predict how it will impact my writing career, but I am excited about the doors it has opened, as long as I continue to write and continue to tell my stories.
PNG: Have you had any offers to have your work published since winning the prize?
TL: My work had been published before I won the prize, but winning the prize has brought another level of attention, I guess people become more curious about what you have to say.
PNG: Now you are an award-winning poet, do you have plans to take up writing full time?
TL: Yes I do, I hope to, and I am excited about all that awaits.