The Book O’clock Chat with the TVO Tribe Poet Laureate 2020: Temitope Komolafe

Interviewer: Uchenna Emelife

This interview is in collaboration with the TVO Tribe, as one of their media partners for their Poet Laureate literary contest.

Interviewee's bio: Temitope Komolafe is the 4th of 5 amazing siblings and was born in Plateau State and thereafter raised in Rivers State. She studies Medicine and Surgery in University of Ibadan. She is a passionate writer with a special knack for screenwriting, an aspiring drummer and a Greek mythology enthusiast.
She is inspired by the ways art and science intersect in nature and aspires to explore the human condition via the lens of both worlds.
She adores thrillers, especially those by Sidney Sheldon. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is her icon and she thinks she's as authentic as she's phenomenal. She is a student of life and believe learning never ends if one is open to it. Overall, she is a very spiritual person and believe the God-factor is an integral component of life.

Temitope Komolafe was officially crowned 2020 Poet Laureate by the TVO Tribe on Thursday, 28th January, 2021 for her creative nonfiction, Of Lovesongs-Turn-Heartbreaks. Our Creative Director, Uchenna Emelife recently engaged her on a virtual conversation about her entry, the win and her craft in general. Find a transcript of their chat below:

First of all, congratulations Temitope on your being awarded 2020 Poet Laureate of the TVO Tribe. How do you feel about that?

Thank you.
At the beginning it felt unreal. The caption 'winner' just didn't resonate with me but over the weeks, I've embraced it, and I've just been totally elated and grateful.

That's nice to know. Does it make you feel in any special way that you're the first female Poet Laureate in all three editions held so far? Wait, did you even know that?

I got to know that through an Instagram story posted by TVO Tribe.
I had this brief moment of ecstasy when I saw it but on the overall, I’m just glad I made it first through the shortlisting process and topped it at the polls.

Is this your first time applying for the contest? How did you hear of it?

Yes.
I saw the broadcast message for the contest in my departmental group page (MBBDS UI 2k19).

Lovely.
Let’s talk about Of Lovesongs-Turn-Heartbreaks, I love the simple diction. I’m not actually a fan of stories that are told in a straightforward manner or without aesthetic effects, but I felt this was one of those stories you needed to tell as simply as you could because it is one a lot of people can relate with and talks about the one thing (love) that can bring just as much pain as it can, joy. So give us a little backstory. What informed the story? This is your story right?

Of-lovesongs-turn-heartbreaks was inspired by true life events and for the most part, it's my story.
Amidst the global menace experienced in 2020, I had a personal blow that really hit me below the belt. It was more of a mental health shakedown triggered from an assault. That incident made me quit a lot of productive things I was engaged in, including writing and I was just within few months of coming out of that dark hole when I saw the ad for the Poet Laureate contest. I saw an opportunity in the ad. It was a step towards getting my voice and power back on through a reflective process and there couldn't have been a better theme than SANKOFA.

Really sorry about this.
But this says a lot about how therapeutic writing can be. As a writer myself, I know the relief that somehow manifests after you've managed to pour out your emotions on paper.

Speaking of writing off pain, I’m sure you see the irony too of how something as sad as the scenario in your story earned you a prize. How exactly does this make you feel?

“Writing is indeed healing and the entire concept of that is as beautiful as it is divine.”

It’s weird to be honest and I’ll make a confession, after editing and submitting my entry, I’ve been unable to read the write up majorly because there’s a kind of melancholy it still ignites within me.
At the time of writing, I had the mindset that it would be one of those entry that never ignites the gesture of a second glance but I wanted to put it out anyway. I read some of the other shortlisted entries and also watched the spoken word entry and I think they were fantastic, creative and brilliant.

Oh! Don't we all. And this also answers my next question on whether or not you didn't feel intimidated by other entrants who would submit poems and fictions with more 'fascinating' themes.

But I like to think that since creative nonfictions tend to be more hearty and personal, they resonate better with people. Anyone who reads your story must have either been in your shoes or currently are or at least knows or heard of someone who is, and the best kind of stories are relatable ones.

“It’s okay to fail but it’s never okay to refuse to try”

I also think that everyone can surmount intimidation by a mindset that says ‘it’s okay to fail but it’s never okay to refuse to try.’ And you’re right. People get touched when they can really relate to a story.

But then I know other readers who find stories they can relate with invasive. Like you’re running from your reality and hoping literature gives you your desired escape, only to meet it again in the pages. Haha.

Such a diverse world we have, haha. Unique personalities just make the world more colorful. The rainbow is more stunning than black and white. This happens sometimes with me too.

Indeed. But at the end we write and read whatever works best for us.

Exactly.

Can we talk about the context of your story?

Yes.

Great!

To love requires some level of compromise, doesn’t it? So at what point do you think it moves above compromise and becomes as you put it in you story, ’losing yourself’?

“When compromises made for love begins to eat at one’s self-worth, self-esteem, psyche, mental health, it’s not worth it anymore.”

Indeed loving requires compromise. I have listened to people say 'loving is a choice and it doesn’t depend on what the other person does or doesn’t do’. I think this saying is really pure and brave. However I think when compromises made for love begins to eat at one’s self-worth, self-esteem, psyche, mental health, I think it’s not worth it anymore.

The psychological effect of living through and enduring all that is really a daunting experience.

Oh. I agree with everything here. It is always you first. The moment that begins to be threatened, that's enough red flag to take the exit path.

You just nailed it!
I think no one should make any compromise for love that'll make them question, wonder or be uncertain of if they are good enough.

I feel like a lot of people know this and still find themselves trapped in such kind of toxic relationships. I want to call it stockholm syndrome like what we see in people who decide to remain in abusive marriages and relationships.

As someone who has 'walked away' from one, what do you suggest to people who are in similar relationships but somehow cannot just call it 'quits'? Where did your realisation come from and how did you end it?

“It is not your job to make people like you. It’s your job to be you.” — CNA

My advice is just do it.
I think for most people, it's the fear of social judgement that keep them in abusive marriages or toxic relationships. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie once wrote that 'it is not your job to make people like you. It's your job to be you'. If everyone can truly decide to be unafraid of social labels or criticisms, it will go a long way.

My realisation came partly when I was in that dark hole of ennui, feeling nothing and wanting nothing. In my moments of clarity, I was able to identify the threads of events that had dampened my self-esteem. I just did it, keeping it precise and without much explanation because I think sometimes, there’s no use explaining.

People have to be worth being explained to, those kind of people are not.

I should add that learning about Sankofa also made me realize what was necessary and what had to be done. In a way, Sankofa helped to authenticate my resolve.

Let’s go away from your story and talk a bit about your reading life. I want to tell myself that you’re a reader, so can you share with me your favorite books and authors and why they are your favorite?

My favorite books are:
Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. This novel took me on an emotional rollercoaster as it explored the horrors fanaticism can breed. I could relate to it because as a Nigerian, I’m surrounded by religion and I know how parents tend to go the extreme in order to 'keep' their children in a particular religion or denomination.

Before you go on, I have something to say about Purple Hibiscus. I love Purple Hibiscus. I actually have a sentimental attachment to the book. It was my first ever contemporary African literature read and also the book that inspired my investment in the African literary space. So it's more than a book to me.

Amazing. It is really more than a book.

Let me continue. There is also:
Master of the Game by Sidney Sheldon. This thriller is spectacular to me because the foundation of tale is set in South Africa and there’s a connection I feel to that as an African. It spoke to me on the hustle spirit, resilience and it was very prominent about power and the ills and demands of it. Overall, it was really educative

Then, Tell me your Dreams by Sidney Sheldon. I read this in secondary school and it is the first book of Sidney Sheldon I read.
It was my introduction to Multiple Personality Disorder also known as Dissociative Identity Disorder. It’s a mental health disorder that is mostly triggered by a childhood trauma whereby the sufferer creates alters or different identities to help deal with the trauma.
I was intrigued by it and it sparked my interest in psychology.

And finally, The Bridge to Haven by Francine Rivers. This book is fantastic and it taught me about reconciling relationships and rebuilding broken bridges of communication.

These are some great books. I’ve also read and loved a Francine Rivers book. The title is, Scarlett Thread. Beautiful book. Her prose is endearing and you just want to keep on losing yourself to the flow. Can we hear authors now?

She does create that magic with her words.
I'll have to check out Scarlett Thread. My favorite authors are Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Sidney Sheldon, Chinua Achebe, Dan Brown and Francine Rivers.

Great lineup here. Very diverse I must say, but didn't they say that variety is the spice of life? I mean look at a rainbow or a mosaic. Haha.

Very well said.

What are you currently reading?

I'm currently reading Windmill of the gods by Sidney Sheldon.

To wrap up this very interesting and insightful conversation, mind sharing what you're currently working on? Or is there anything we should expect from your end soon? A new story? A project? Anything at all.

I'm currently creating chat stories for the ongoing Chat Story Challenge sponsored by Whipik and African Writers.
I'm also writing my second screenplay.

Best wishes on that, Temitope and every other thing. Thank you so much for granting this interview. It was lovely and educating at the same time. Congrats once more on your win.

Thank you so much Uchenna for this humbling experience. I enjoyed doing this with you.
Thank you for all that you do as regards propelling the wheels of African writers and literature.

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Uchenna Emelife is a reader, literary enthusiast, creative writer, journo and bookseller. His works have been featured/forthcoming in the Nation Newspaper, ICIR Nigeria, Minority Africa, Book O’Clock Review, Opinion Nigeria, The Nigeria Review and a few other mags/papers. He is the co-founder and creative director of Book O’Clock Review.