Since I was born, daddy bought us books. He was a writer himself, writing stories in notebooks that ended up in corners of the house, unpublished. Had my father been born in more recent times, he’d be a great writer, I think.
Bassey Ikpi still identifies as a writer though she has referred to herself as an “ex-poet”. She has recently clarified that poetry was simply the conduit through which she could articulate all the emotions she failed to understandably express. Now, she says, she is healthier than ever and is interested in publicising wellness as a possibility, as a lifestyle.
Although a chapbook of very short poems (which seems like the poets’ attempt to test the water of critical reception), part of the aesthetic appeal of the collection is the poets’ use of language.
But life isn't always like poetry, it hardly ever starts from the last stanza. Sometimes, you have no idea if there will be a last stanza at all, or if it will continue in long lines that do not have an end. Like the cliffhangers at the end of thrillers. And these cliffhangers of life... these events that continue to infinity like a recurring decimal, are the parts of life I struggle to deal with. My mind shifts and fidgets endlessly when it goes on a journey that does not seem to have an end.
I was becoming so good, too good that I could write someone’s destiny. So when my muse became tired of my poetic praises and my love, I lost all purpose. Soon I became an empty quill. Speechless. I reduced myself to a spectator, attending poetry events and festivals in Kano, Abuja, Kaduna or wherever I could, and from afar I’d cheer online performers in Orange Poetry, Hilltop or Alitfest, while I go snap, snap, snap, or fire emoji, fire emoji.
Lagos influences most of his writing—its chaos, culture and vibrance, diversity—and like many other Nigerian writers, his work is inspired by gender-based violence and conflict themes. In an interview with Funtimes Magazine, he said, “Most of my initial poems have been responses to societal issues.” However, recently, he has been “very interested in the concept of joy; what it is, why it’s important, and how to capture and share it through poetry and performance.”
After reviewing thousands of applications from Africa and the Diaspora, the LOATAD Black Atlantic Residency supported by Hawthornden Foundation have picked 10 applicants for their 2025 residency including Abdulrazaq Salihu.
There are many ways to read “A Cult of Fireflies”— the best, in the company of a lover, a private picnic in a lush garden under the sun. Because each poem is a box of sweet, each stanza, a smile unwrapped, each line, a glass of wine.
Following the release of Jamila Abbas's poetry collection, "Between the lines of a photograph", the official launch of the collection is set to take place on the 23rd of November, 2024 at 3:00 pm at Moeshen cafe, Abuja, Nigeria.
