{"id":5060,"date":"2021-06-27T15:04:13","date_gmt":"2021-06-27T15:04:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/?p=5060"},"modified":"2021-06-27T15:07:29","modified_gmt":"2021-06-27T15:07:29","slug":"how-i-started-writing-poetry-susan-olalere-pin-literary-interviews","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/index.php\/how-i-started-writing-poetry-susan-olalere-pin-literary-interviews\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018How I started writing poetry\u2019 \u2013 Susan Olalere | PIN Literary Interviews"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 1.7.8 -->\n<div class=\"quads-location quads-ad1\" id=\"quads-ad1\" style=\"float:none;margin:0px;\">\n\n <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.1.7.8 Content AdSense async --> \n\n<script async data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\">\nvar quads_screen_width = document.body.clientWidth;\nif ( quads_screen_width >= 1140 ) {\r\n\/* desktop monitors *\/\r\ndocument.write('<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-5983616716487778\" data-ad-slot=\"\" ><\/ins>');\r\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n}if ( quads_screen_width >= 1024  && quads_screen_width < 1140 ) {\r\n\/* tablet landscape *\/\r\ndocument.write('<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-5983616716487778\" data-ad-slot=\"\" ><\/ins>');\r\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n}if ( quads_screen_width >= 768  && quads_screen_width < 1024 ) {\r\n\/* tablet portrait *\/\r\ndocument.write('<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-5983616716487778\" data-ad-slot=\"\" ><\/ins>');\r\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n}if ( quads_screen_width < 768 ) {\r\n\/* phone *\/\r\ndocument.write('<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-5983616716487778\" data-ad-slot=\"\" ><\/ins>');\r\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n}<\/script>\n\n <!-- end WP QUADS --> \n\n\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-rounded\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img data-attachment-id=\"4496\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/118790839_697640774152335_692204456045484125_n-1-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/118790839_697640774152335_692204456045484125_n-1-edited.jpg?fit=391%2C521&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"391,521\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"118790839_697640774152335_692204456045484125_n-1\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/118790839_697640774152335_692204456045484125_n-1-edited.jpg?fit=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/118790839_697640774152335_692204456045484125_n-1-edited.jpg?fit=391%2C521&amp;ssl=1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/118790839_697640774152335_692204456045484125_n-1-edited.jpg?resize=46%2C61\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4496\" width=\"46\" height=\"61\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/118790839_697640774152335_692204456045484125_n-1-edited.jpg?w=391&amp;ssl=1 391w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/118790839_697640774152335_692204456045484125_n-1-edited.jpg?resize=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1 225w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 46px) 100vw, 46px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Susan Olalere<\/strong> won the March edition of PIN 10-Day Poetry Challenge. Here, she talks to <strong>Semilore Kilaso<\/strong> about how she started writing poetry and subsequently won the said prize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Susan Olalere<\/strong> is an indigene of Oyo State residing in Ibadan. She is a student and a freelance writer. For the past three years, Susan has been successfully pushing her way through poetry and thus presently working on her debut book which might drop anytime soon. She has been passionately exploring the world of poetry by participating in a lot of contests cutting across Africa and beyond. Her poem has also been featured on <em>African Writers<\/em>, and one of her works got a special acknowledgment from a publishing house in India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1. Congratulations on winning the March edition of 10-Day Poetry Challange. Do tell us more about yourself and how you started writing poetry.<\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thank you so much for the opportunity. I am Susan Olalere but I love to keep it short so I prefer to be called Suzi. I\u2019m a freelance writer, student and Internet surfer lol. I spend quality hours researching and gathering new information on my areas of interests. Speaking of, I recently started exploring the world of spoken word poetry and I must say I immediately got captivated in the serene world of performance poetry. I feel it\u2019s so great an honour having to stand in front of many people while communicating your emotions and passing across deep &amp; informative messages in a rhythmic style of poetry.<\/p>\n<!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 1.7.8 -->\n<div class=\"quads-location quads-ad2\" id=\"quads-ad2\" style=\"float:none;margin:0px;\">\n<script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script>\r\n<script>\r\n  (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({\r\n    google_ad_client: \"ca-pub-5983616716487778\",\r\n    enable_page_level_ads: true\r\n  });\r\n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>As I firmly recall, I started writing about three years ago when I encountered a major life blow. It was an unpleasant event that could be likened to a sharp-edged sword being repeatedly pierced through my fragile heart due to the low level of tolerance my heart could accommodate. Looking out for a means to heal, I found a solemn place of abode in writing. Writing became a harmless therapy that raised high my spirits &amp; turned on the lights of my once energetic soul. From there on, no stormy wind has been able to quench my burning pen of poetry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2. Usually we have joint winners for the 10-Day Poetry Challenge, yet you&#8217;re a sole winner, how do you feel about this?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To be honest, it was pretty overwhelming knowing that out of many amazing writers that submitted their entry alongside mine, I emerged the sole winner and that for me is what I\u2019d like to call GRACE and it wouldn\u2019t have been possible without God Almighty, my parents, Mumzlee &amp; my siblings (my major sources of inspiration).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3. Do you agree that competitions are important and healthy in the creative space?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this growing age and era, competitions are very important and healthy in growth at large. There is a bigger picture to competition that many try to overlook thereby terming it as bad and unhealthy but in the real sense, a competitive environment especially in the creative space is a great tool for developing one\u2019s skills as it\u2019s an effective drive for one to always give his\/her best. Competition can also help in building self-esteem as oftentimes it brings you out of your comfort zone thereby helping you discover and capitalize on your strengths rather than on your weaknesses. Looking back, competition has increased my level of exposure to the world of poetry. I have more gains than losses in terms of the knowledge the competitive avenue has created for me and thus I stand to say it is an important aspect of the creative space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>4. What Nigerian poet(s) do you continually revisit their works?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I do enjoy the works of Wole Soyinka, Niyi Osundare, Chinua Achebe and J. P. Clark. I remember reading the works of these men of virtue while in secondary school and till today, I still find their works amazingly inspiring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>5. What in your opinion is the place of poetry as a genre of literature in Nigeria? What future? What opportunities for Poets?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The increasing amount of social awareness and emotional pressure brought about by various occurrences in the country presently has positively triggered the proliferation of poetry thereby giving it the due acknowledgment that it deserves. The fact that social media is also a big influence to the immerse growth of poetry cannot be overemphasized as it has been a big exposure to aspiring poets across the globe. Several like-minded writers from various walks of life with diverse knowledge on poetry have been consistently emerging and keeping up the pace. There is a big future for poetry and its biggest wave is about to hit hard \u2013 y\u2019all should watch out for this space!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>6. Thank you for your time. Please leave us with few lines of a poem you have written. (max 10 lines).<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019re more than welcome. Indeed, it\u2019s been such a wonderful ride sharing my thoughts &amp; experiences with you. Here\u2019s an excerpt from a poem of mine out of my many collections titled \u2018lonely wanderer\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Out of the blues came a lonely wanderer<br>With figs from the woods<br>Will you make from me a companion my lonely wanderer?<br>Paint me in blue<br>Blue as the colour of the sky<br>And let\u2019s join hands<br>Skydiving perhaps<br>Paint me in blue<br>Blue as the colour of the sea<br>And let\u2019s join hands<br>Ferrying perhaps<br>Paint me in blue<br>Oh my lonely wanderer\n<!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 1.7.8 -->\n<div class=\"quads-location quads-ad3\" id=\"quads-ad3\" style=\"float:none;margin:0px;\">\n<script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script>\r\n<script>\r\n  (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({\r\n    google_ad_client: \"ca-pub-5983616716487778\",\r\n    enable_page_level_ads: true\r\n  });\r\n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Susan Olalere won the March edition of PIN 10-Day Poetry Challenge. Here, she talks to Semilore Kilaso about how she started writing poetry and subsequently&hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5061,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[718],"tags":[235,721,228,767,809],"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4985,"url":"https:\/\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/index.php\/poetry-is-the-only-genre-of-literature-i-want-to-explore-phebe-benjamin-pin-literary-interviews\/","url_meta":{"origin":5060,"position":0},"title":"\u2018Poetry is the only genre of literature I want to explore\u2019 \u2013 Phebe Benjamin | PIN Literary Interviews","date":"May 7, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Phebe Benjamin recently performed her poem at a \u201cWole Soyinka-attended\u201d event hosted by Providus Bank on World Poetry Day. In this edition of PIN Literary Interviews, she discusses her love for poetry with Semilore Kilaso, and shares her thoughts on Nigerian Poetry. Talented, young Nigerian poet, Phebe Benjamin loves writing\u2026","rel":"nofollow","context":"In \"PIN Literary Interviews\"","img":{"src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":4332,"url":"https:\/\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/index.php\/theres-hardly-any-contemporary-nigerian-poet-who-doesnt-have-a-thing-to-do-with-pin-rahma-jimoh-pin-literary-interviews\/","url_meta":{"origin":5060,"position":1},"title":"\u2018There's hardly any contemporary Nigerian poet who doesn't have a thing to do with PIN\u2019 \u2013 Rahma Jimoh | PIN Literary Interviews","date":"August 16, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Semilore Kilaso interviews the Lead Representative of PIN OOU Connect Centre, Rahma Jimoh who beams light on her journey as a poet and poetry enthusiast. Rahma O. Jimoh is a poet, writer and Mass Communication student at the Olabisi Onabanjo University where she doubles as the Lead Rep. of the\u2026","rel":"nofollow","context":"In \"PIN Literary Interviews\"","img":{"src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":4670,"url":"https:\/\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/index.php\/poetry-gave-me-a-voice-oluwabunmi-ajayi-pin-literary-interviews\/","url_meta":{"origin":5060,"position":2},"title":"\u2018Poetry gave me a voice\u2019 \u2013 Oluwabunmi Ajayi | PIN Literary Interviews","date":"December 11, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Oluwabunmi Ajayi is the Lead Rep for PIN Ikorodu Connect Centre where literary talents are presented with opportunities to grow and give voice to their ideologies. She shares her journey as a poet and poetry promoter with Semilore Kilaso of PIN Literary Interviews. Oluwabunmi Ajayi is a radical writer and\u2026","rel":"nofollow","context":"In \"PIN Literary Interviews\"","img":{"src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5060"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5060"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5060\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5064,"href":"https:\/\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5060\/revisions\/5064"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5061"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5060"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5060"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5060"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}