Tolu Akinyemi, also referred to as Poetolu is a

Nigerian Nigerians or the Nigerian people are citizens of Nigeria or people with ancestry from Nigeria. The name Nigeria was taken from the Niger River running through the country. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British jour ...

writer and poet. His work is notable for its relatable insights and humorous take on everyday human experiences.

Biography and education

Tolu Akinyemi was born in

Akure Akure is a city in south-western Nigeria. It is the capital and largest city of Ondo State. The city had a population of 403,000 as at the 2006 population census. History Pre 1914 Rock engravings dating back to the Mesolithic period, hav ...

Ondo State Ondo State ( yo, Ìpínlẹ̀ Oǹdó) is a state in southwestern Nigeria. It was created on 3 February 1976 from the former Western State. It borders Ekiti State to the north, Kogi State to the northeast, Edo State to the east, Delta State to t ...

, Nigeria. His parents worked in the state government's civil service. He attended in the same city, Oyemekun Grammar School, where he was first an assistant senior prefect and later became the senior prefect. He then studied Architecture and Design at the

Federal University of Technology Akure The Federal University of Technology Akure (informally FUT Akure or simply FUTA) is a federal government-owned university located in Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria. It was founded in 1981 under a drive by the government of Nigeria to create univers ...

, earning a

Bachelor of Technology A Bachelor of Technology (Latin ''Baccalaureus Technologiae'', commonly abbreviated as B.Tech. or BTech; with honours as B.Tech. (Hons.)) is an undergraduate academic degree conferred after the completion of a three to five-year program of studi ...

degree in Architecture in 2008. In 2011 he obtained a

Master of Science degree A Master of Science ( la, Magisterii Scientiae; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree in the field of science awarded by universities in many countries or a person holding such a degree. In contrast to ...

in Built Environment Studies from the

University of Greenwich The University of Greenwich is a public university located in London and Kent, United Kingdom. Previous names include Woolwich Polytechnic and Thames Polytechnic. The university's main campus is at the Old Royal Naval College, which along with it ...

. He currently lives in London, England.

Writing

Tolu Akinyemi is the author of four collections of poetry. His first collection ''Your Father Walks Like A Crab'' published in 2013, was described by

Lola Shoneyin Lola Shoneyin (born Titilola Atinuke Alexandrah Shoneyin; 26 February 1974 in Ibadan, Nigeria) is a Nigerian poet and author who launched her debut novel, ''The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives'', in the UK in May 2010. Shoneyin has forged a r ...

as "a witty debut". In 2017 and 2018, he was named one of '100 most influential Nigerian writers under 40'. In 2017, he won the Nigerian Writers' Award (Poetry writer of the year) for his poetry collection ''I Laugh at These Skinny Girls''. His works have been featured in advertisements, documentaries, and in cultural and literary publications such as the Association of Nigerian Authors anthologies, Forward Poetry's ''Great British Write-off Anthology'', and ''

Black History Month Black History Month is an annual observance originating in the United States, where it is also known as African-American History Month. It has received official recognition from governments in the United States and Canada, and more recently ...

'' magazine. In 2017 he obtained the

Arts Council England Arts Council England is an arm's length non-departmental public body of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. It is also a registered charity. It was formed in 1994 when the Arts Council of Great Britain was divided into three s ...

's, "exceptional talent endorsement" as a creative writer. This was a part of the British Home Office's 'exceptional talent visa' programme to attract to the United Kingdom, exceptionally talented individuals in fields such as the arts and sciences. Akinyemi's writing has also been described as '''poetry for people who hate poetry.

Other works

In 2016 he started writing the online '''Halima Series''', an illustrated and humorous social commentary on popular culture and everyday experiences from the point of view of the fictional character called Halima. In 2022,Tolu appears in a cameo role as '''Shawn''', on the Africa Magic show My Flatmates' (Episode 133).''

Bibliography

*''Her Head Was A Spider's Nest'', 2021 *''Funny Men Cannot Be Trusted''. Heart of Words UK, 2017 *''I laugh at These Skinny Girls''. Heart of Words UK, 2015, *''Your Father Walks Like A Crab''. Strange Ideas UK, 2013

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Akinyemi, Tolu Living people Nigerian writers Alumni of the University of Greenwich Nigerian male poets Yoruba poets 20th-century Nigerian poets Nigerian male novelists 20th-century Nigerian novelists Nigerian male short story writers Nigerian short story writers Academic staff of the Federal University of Technology Akure 21st-century Nigerian poets Nigerian poets Year of birth missing (living people)