Semilore Kilaso returns early for this edition of PIN Literary Interviews for a hearty and witty dialogue with the moderator of PIN 10-Day Poetry Challenge, Tóbi Samuel. Self, poetry, PIN dominate the multifaceted discourse.
Tóbi Samuel is a final year Communication and Language Arts student of the University of Ibadan and the Senior Media Assistant of Poets in Nigeria (PIN). He is the moderator of PIN 10-Day Poetry Challenge and former Co-Lead Representative, PIN UI Connect Centre. He won the Francis Egbokhare prize as the best student poet for Ibadan Poetry Festival 2015. Also, he emerged first runner-up for Future Brand Idol 2019, an advertising creativity contest. He lives in Ibadan, maybe he derives his muse from the brown roofs.
- It’s a pleasure having to interview you. Please can we meet you?
I am Popoola Oluwatobiloba Samuel, a final year student of the Department of Communication and Language Arts, University of Ibadan. At the moment, I’m also studying at O2 Academy’s School of Brand Communications. It shows that I’m not only involved in poetry, marketing communications is my other strong point. On some occasions, I dabble in Photography and Filmmaking too.
Profession wise, I work as the Senior Media Assistant for Poets in Nigeria (PIN) Initiative and I moderate the PIN 10-Day Poetry Challenge – a monthly poetry writing contest. Added to that, I am a Copywriter at Digital Native (an advertising agency) and a Copywriter Intern at Digisplash (a bigger advertising agency). I also run a developing marketing communications hub for Nigerian students, Unbox, where I am the CCO (Chief Coordinating Officer). To cap it, I am the PRO for Safe Our Future Initiative, a child rights defence organization.
So I won’t look boring, let’s rush through other things I do. I watch football a lot! (A Chelsea fan, no apologies). Watching a lot of movies has made me a movie critique and that has inspired my scriptwriting skill too. I love good music, I love dancing. You may catch me doing a pencil work someday and you’ll be like “awwww”. Don’t come near me when I’m cooking, you’ll only perceive the sweet aroma without tasting – I’ve learnt my lessons.
That’s a rush! Yes, I mentioned ‘let’s rush through’ before ‘running’ through them. Don’t I love reading and writing? You expect me to say that too?
- Can you vividly recall the title of the first poem you ever wrote? Tell us about it and how you landed into poetry writing.
Oh yes! My first poem is titled “From Canaan into Paradise”. It was to celebrate the victory of PMB in the presidential election of 2015. There’s a big story behind that and it is tied to my advent into poetry writing.
August 2015, Mr Obadeyi (my Literature teacher) sent for me and told me that I am to represent the school in a poetry writing contest. I was all pumped until I learnt it’s a contest for the best schools in Ibadan. I was gutted!
I couldn’t write anything until a weekend I had nothing to do. I sat, and in two hours, I had the poem written. Mr Obadeyi made some corrections and we sent the poem.
Know that at the time, I wasn’t interested in poetry. I only wrote the poem out of a sense of duty. Fast track to the end, my poem was the best of all entries in Ibadan. The stage performance of my poem was the best too and that’s how I was awarded the Best Student Poet, Ibadan (2015) and winner of the Francis Egbokhare Poetry Writing Contest, Ibadan Poetry Festival, 2015.
Now, these achievements are the propellers that launched me into serious poetry writing. I dropped poetry at some point but someone (who may not like to be mentioned) made me go back. Since then, I’ve not put in for any poetry contest; there’s no reason for that. But poetry has become a major way I do my talking.
So, passion didn’t lead me to poetry. I built the passion after getting knee-deep in poetry.
- You are the Senior Media Assistant at PIN. What does this entail?
I’ll make this as concise as possible. As the Senior Media Assistant, I coordinate the activities of PIN across all media – digital(internet) and traditional (broadcast and print). However, most of my involvements have been on the digital media because most of our audience rarely use traditional media. In fact, PIN is more on Facebook than anywhere else.
- Please tell us about PIN 10-DAY POETRY CHALLENGE.
PIN 10-Day Poetry Challenge is a monthly poetry writing contest that pushes freedom through creativity. It is open to all people, from all walks of life, from all places in the world. Also, participants are free to write as many lines as they deem fit. Before now, however, it used to be without a theme.
Overtime, the contest has received entries from countries in Asia, Europe, the Americas, and other African countries. We’ve equally had foreign winners too. We celebrate 10 winners every month and all winning entries are compiled to make an anthology at the end of the year. Unfortunately, due to some communication constraints, last year’s anthology is pending but is almost ready for publication.
Through PIN 10-Day poetry challenge, I have seen young poets grown big. Worthy of mention are Oluebube Offor, Samuel Junior Irusota, Rahma O. Jimoh, and Oyekunle Ifeoluwa. A young poet myself, moderating the challenge has helped me to improve my coordination skills and see into the minds of poets across the world to nourish my poetic insight.
- As the moderator of PIN 10-DAY POETRY CHALLENGE. What do you look for in poems?
I don’t think there’s a lot to say about this. I look for ingenuity, originality, relevance to current situations, good command of language, and appropriate use of literary devices. I should use this medium to add that forced use of rhymes in poetry washes down the beauty.
If you can’t rhyme, string words in creative ways to speak to people. Do not force rhymes, it’s not proper. Whenever I see poems with forced rhymes, I feel sorry for the poet undermining his/her poetic inventiveness. Rhymes are beautiful but use them appropriately, not abuse them.
- As poets, some of us tend to look at stylistics. How would you describe poetry in relation to your style?
Poetry, from the perspective of my style, is freedom and simplicity. I let the words find their course. I let the words arrange themselves.
If you read my works, you’ll see that my stanzas do not have a consistent pattern but they aid a greater understanding in that. I treat each stanza as an idea, a paragraph (if there’s anything called a phrasal/clausal/one-sentenced paragraph). My poems are a string of connected ideas.
You’ll notice too that my works rarely have ‘big’ words. I write for everyone to understand or better still, read and derive meaning in their own perspective. I don’t like confounding my readers with words they are not familiar with – there’s this ‘speak their language/diction’ code I follow which helps connecting with my audience better. I use ambiguity sometimes but not ambiguous words; I use ambiguity as a literary device. For instance, I write pieces that mean several things to several people – that’s the use of ambiguity as a device.
Also, I believe in conciseness. Except I’m doing storytelling with my poetry, I don’t write long pieces. I hit the point straight and leave you nodding, roaming your thoughts freely to the areas I didn’t touch – something like me leading you to water, getting you interested in drinking, and you drinking without my aid; something like me opening a closet of thoughts and you ransacking the closet.
- What was your experience as Co-Lead Representative at PIN’s UI Connect Centre?
Being the Co-Lead Representative of PIN UI CC was one role I didn’t manage well. We have so much to do, we have a lot of plans, but we haven’t executed any. This is due to inadequate communication among the executives and the uncertain calendar of the school.
Besides, the position has helped me to mentor younger poets, even poets my age. It gave me a validation that made them trust me to teach them right. I had some of them join the 100-day poetry challenge I ran last year and others joined some WhatsApp groups where I was invited to talk on the art of poetry writing. Nevertheless, I’m learning too. There are several times Sir Eriata Oribhabor corrects things I write. I’m also a student of Button Poetry.
Ultimately, the position as a Co-Lead Rep has helped me but I’m yet to return the favour. That is a really bad portrayal of myself, yes. But I have to be honest and be true to PIN’s charge: Connecting Poets for Greatness.
- Can you tell us about your meeting with Prof. Wole Soyinka of which you represented Poets in Nigeria Initiative?
Meeting Wole Soyinka is a dream come true. The funny thing is that I wasn’t sure of it until I got to the venue and saw him myself. It was a surreal experience that also made me meet Sammy Sage Hassan, Iquo Diana Abasi, Adebola Afolabi (Rez Tha Poet), Salamatu Sule, and Uche Uwadinachi.
When I walked up the podium to read my poem to Wole Soyinka (I like to think I read to him not to everyone in the room), I felt out of my body. It’s a lot of honour, I can’t put words to it without sounding hyperbolic. Most beautiful of all, he applauded my poem at the end of all renditions because I read and didn’t perform. Then, he gave me a handshake.
That event is a lot of motivation for me. Gatherings like that help us see poetry beyond an art but as a force, a regulating phenomenon in our society. I cherish the memory so well and I appreciate Sir Eriata Oribabhor’s nominating me to represent PIN’s interest at the event.
- You study Communication and Language Arts. What influence does it have on your poetry?
My course of study has helped my poetry touch niches – specific groups – effectively. An example is ‘Angels’, the storytelling piece I rendered at Lagos Books And Arts Festival, November 2019. ‘Angels’ successfully told the girl child it understands her plight. Also, it empathizes with the boy child who grew to be the irresponsible man. Then, it told the society how to right the wrongs. This proficiency of reaching niches directly and the public effectively is a skill that was developed through my study of interpersonal communication, group communication, the sociology and the ethnography of communication. Creative writing electives I took from the English Language and Literary Studies Department also helped put me in tune.
Added to that, I’ve been able to channel poetry into Copywriting – writing adverts. Through marketing communication courses I take, I found Copywriting which I’ve come to love. My poetic skills serve me so much in that regard.
- What Nigerian poet or poets do you love to read?
It is weird that I don’t have specific poets I read or love to read. I read all Nigerian poets – if the first stanza doesn’t discourage me. That sounds vague, I know, but it’s the truth. However, worthy of mention are Kukogho Iruesiri Samson and Ehi-kowochio Ogwiji.
You should have asked for Nigerian Spoken Word poets I listen to because I have them plenty. First is Balogun Gemini, the aremo of Yoruba poetry. Then I have the likes of Obafemi Thanni, Fragile Dogubo, Tiwistar, Poetic Samurai, Solar Speaks, Ola theRawPoet, and Titi Matthews.
- What in your opinion is the place of poetry as a genre of literature in our Nigeria? What future? What opportunities for Poets?
As a critic said, the Nigerian poetry scene today is a mixed collection of talent and mediocrity, rhyme, rhetoric, and reason. If we pay close attention, we will find this same truth. However, I have come to realise that mediocrity in Nigerian poetry is fast switching into pure creativity. I can attach this to the strong drive young poets have to becoming better.
Nigerian poets are social reformers committed to the cause of humanity and social justice. I can say a reasonable deal of constructive discussions on societal and political ills are geared by poetry in Nigeria. If this trend continues, I believe poetry will grow to be a dominant culture. It has grown from a sect practice to a popular culture, a time is coming when we will be able to say poetry shaped our Nigeria – if this current trend continues.
More so, I’ve seen Nigerian poets enjoy recognition and benefits over time. However, the coming age needs us to add more to poetry – being just a poet is not enough, what other thing are you doing? I think poets know this and I am happy to see poets churning out poetry in amazing forms. I applaud Balogun Gemini on this, he does really well.
As a Nigerian poet, in whatever you do, make sure you’re excellent. I mean every other thing outside poetry. Oyekunle Ifeoluwa won a Commonwealth Scholarship last year, there are a host of other achievements from Nigerian poets. They didn’t just win. Poetry gave them a voice, the voice propelled them to win, now they use poetry from their elevated standpoints to effect more change. The same thing applies to all poets. Let poetry give you a strong voice. When you’re shot high, in anything you do, let poetry use you to help more things get better.
- What’s your opinion about Poets in Nigeria as a vanguard of poetry renaissance in our country?
Take it or… take it, Poets in Nigeria is advancing the fronts of poetry to unite all Nigerian poets into a single community. The sense of belonging in PIN is really strong. The social media platforms encourage all – even beginners – to participate actively and the initiatives are strategically positioned to help promote and appreciate the poetic culture in Nigeria.
I don’t think any poetic hub has a family as large as PIN’s – from Kano up north to Calabar down south. PIN didn’t only give life to popular participation in Nigerian poetry, it also unites all participants and gives room for foreigners to get involved too. It is a whole spectrum of stoking the fire of Nigerian poetry and inviting the world to camp by the fire.
I won’t be surprised if the next poetic surge in the country brews from PIN. The structure on ground is stable enough for that. I am sure PIN will continue in the trend of promoting popular participation in Nigerian poetry and being a voice against societal ills.
- How would you want to round off this interview?
To tell all people who are trying to get things right that it’s okay to be ‘figuring it out’. Do not get frustrated because you don’t seem to grasp the scope of what you’re doing. I am still ‘figuring it out’. Not because I am still a student but because it is normal.
However, do not get lackadaisical. Do not sit idle. Keep grinding but do not get frustrated. As Denzel Washington said, ‘fall down seven times, get up eight’ (let me add ‘with a smile’). But it’s really hard, really hard. You’ll fall. Just keep at it.
‘Figuring it out’ is one thing we’ll keep doing forever. No one ever masters it completely; anything. Ask the ‘bests’ why they want to get better.
- What would you say about Poets in Nigeria?
The bulk of it has been said in my answer, earlier. I’ll only add that I am proud to be part of the family. It has helped me grown. Most importantly, I’ve met awesome poets who have come to be my friends through PIN; shout out to Worden Enya and oddFelix
- Please leave us with few lines of poetry (max 10 lines)
Home;
it means being
forged in the same
fire that consumed
those before you;
it means being melted,
re-casted for another use;
it’s knowing
we are only tools
waiting to be reforged.