Writer, Mentor, Poet, Storyteller
‘How you doin?’ My name is Tolu Akinyemi, a lover of words and ideas. I’m a creative writer, storyteller, poet, artist, photographer, christian, designer, mentor and some more. I however have been told that my singing is mediocre, and I may need dancing lessons for my wedding day…
…Most people call me Poetolu based on my social media moniker. A few call me Poet Olu, wrongly concluding that my first name is Olu. It’s not. The ‘Poet’ and the ‘Tolu’ in Poetolu share a ‘T’. There is love in sharing.
It’s been said that my writing is distinguished by its simple yet witty and engaging perspectives on society and our lived experiences, and I humbly agree. I think it’s important to document the several seemingly-mundane yet relatable experiences of our lives and also believe every form of art, which every form of writing is, must centre on effectively communicating with the consumer of the art. You can read about my writing philosophy here.
I have 3 published books, and some of my writings have appeared in online and offline publications and won one or two awards here and there.
Interests & Trivia
I’m a digital technology and mid-century design enthusiast. I find great fascination in the outdoors, nature and old buildings (probably influenced by my Architecture and design educational background).
My favourite brand was Google until Amazon stole its place. My favourite TV show was the ‘The Big Bang Theory’ until ‘Friends’ dethroned it. (Perhaps you now know the reason for the 8th, 9th and 10th words on this page).
If you are looking for an official bio where I weirdly talk about myself in the third person, it’s here.
Short Bio
Tolu Akinyemi, is an award-winning Nigerian writer and poet. His often-humorous writings are known for their keen perspectives and wittily engaging dissections of humans’ lived experiences. He is the author of three books and currently lives in London, United Kingdom.
A Less-Short Bio
Tolu’ Akinyemi is also known as Poetolu is an award-winning Poet and Writer. He was born in Akure, the capital city of Ondo State, Nigeria. He studied Architecture & Design at the Federal University of Technology Akure, Nigeria, and then at the University of Greenwich, London.
His often-humorous writings offer keen perspectives on our lived experiences as societies and as individuals, and evoke appreciation for other seemingly-mundane-yet- important interactions in our environment. Tolu’s witty, simple yet relatable and sometimes poignant approach has inspired self-confessed new writers and earned his writings a loyal following especially on social media.
He has written three books ‘Your Father Walks Like A Crab’, ‘I Laugh At These Skinny Girls’, and ‘Funny Men Cannot Be Trusted’, all dubbed ‘Poetry for people who hate poetry’
His writings have also appeared in a number of notable publications such as the ‘Black History Month Magazine’, ‘Verses From The Sun’, an Association of Nigerian Authors anthology, ‘A Way With Words’ (2014 & 2016), a Great British Write Off Anthology and other printed and online outlets. His poetry play ‘The Big Society’; written for The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust, London was performed at The Greenwich-Lewisham Young People’s Theatre, London. In 2017, he was named on the ‘Nigerian Writers’ Awards’ list of ‘100 Most Influential Nigerian Writers under 40’ and also won the ‘Poetry Writer of the Year’ Award. He is a recipient of the Arts Council England’s ‘Exceptional Talent Endorsement’ as a writer.
You can find Tolu as @poetolu on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter He currently lives in London, England.