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 derived from the Niger River running through the country. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British jo ...

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 city, capital and largest city of Ondo State. The city had a population of 403,000 as of the 2006 population census. Its current population is estimated at 774,000.Ondo State Ondo () is a States of Nigeria, state in Points of the compass, southwestern Nigeria. It was created on 3 February 1976 from the former Western State (Nigeria), Western State. Ondo borders Ekiti State to the north, Kogi State to the northeast fo ...

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

Federal University of Technology Akure The Federal University of Technology Akure (also known as FUT Akure or simply FUTA) is a federal government-owned university located in Akure, Ondo State, southwestern Nigeria. It was established in 1981 by the Nigerian federal government, the ...

, earning a

Bachelor of Technology A Bachelor of Technology (BTech) is an undergraduate degree that is awarded for a higher education program in engineering. Countries Australia In Australia, the Bachelor of Technology degree is offered by RMIT University, Edith Cowan Univ ...

degree in Architecture in 2008. In 2011, he obtained a

Master of Science degree A Master of Science (; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree. In contrast to the Master of Arts degree, the Master of Science degree is typically granted for studies in sciences, engineering and medicine ...

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 wi ...

. He currently lives in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, England.

Writing

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 ...

as "a witty debut". In 2017 and 2018, Akinyemi 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 The Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) is a non-profit organization that promotes Nigerian literature. It represents Nigerian creative writers at home and abroad. It was founded in 1981 by Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe as its president. The ...

anthologies, Forward Poetry's ''Great British Write-off Anthology'', and ''

Black History Month Black History Month is an annually observed commemorative month originating in the United States, where it is also known as African-American History Month. It began as a way of remembering important people and events in the history of the Af ...

'' 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, Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It is also a registered charity. It was formed in 1994 when the Arts Council o ...

's "exceptional talent endorsement" as a creative writer. This was a part of the British

Home Office The Home Office (HO), also known (especially in official papers and when referred to in Parliament) as the Home Department, is the United Kingdom's interior ministry. It is responsible for public safety and policing, border security, immigr ...

'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, Akinyemi started writing the online ''Halima Series'', an illustrated and humorous

social commentary Social commentary is the act of using rhetorical means to provide commentary on social, cultural, political, or economic issues in a society. This is often done with the idea of implementing or promoting change by informing the general populace ab ...

on popular culture and everyday experiences from the point of view of the fictional character called Halima. In 2022, Akinyemi appeared in a cameo role as "Shawn", on the

Africa Magic Africa Magic is a collection of Pay TV entertainment channels that focus on African programming, most popularly Nigerian series and movies. ''Africa Magic'', which started off as single channel of the same name, is a brand owned by M-Net and no ...

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 20th-century Nigerian poets 21st-century Nigerian poets Academic staff of the Federal University of Technology Akure Alumni of the University of Greenwich Nigerian male poets Nigerian male short story writers Nigerian short story writers Nigerian writers Yoruba poets Year of birth missing (living people)