In this edition, Lise Nova Berwadushime interviewed Adedokun Ibrahim, the winner of the 2023 African Teen Writers Award (Poetry).
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Lise: Hello, Ibrahim, it’s my pleasure to have you today. Please tell us about yourself. Anything you would like people to know about you.
Adedokun Ibrahim: Well. I’m Adedokun Ibrahim, a 17-year-old, Nigerian by nationality. I was raised and homeschooled in Lagos within a family of 16. I grew up learning almost everything from my parents, spending so much time with them carved so many parts of me. And my siblings too, we were all raised with love and the teaching of Islam.
As a young boy, I do not remember what I wanted to be, (laughs), I changed my profession many times as a young boy, you did too, I know.
Lise: Definitely! I did for sure hahaah!!
Adedokun Ibrahim: You see! Anyway, during my early teenage years, I picked interest in writing, I found my elder brothers writing poetry, short stories and I fell along the line too. And I’ve been so passionate about it all. I ask Allah to ease the journey I have ahead of me.
Lise: Wow! That’s lovely. If you can remember well, when exactly did you start writing?
Adedokun Ibrahim: I started writing at the age of 12, yeah. I would write stories in short note books with so many pages, (although I never get to complete any of the stories before I move on to a new one), then show my brothers. Their words of encouragement and lessons to get better at writing never lacked for once.
Lise: Hashtag, “supportive brothers” hahah. Can you recall the themes you felt drawn to at that young age?
Adedokun Ibrahim: Crime fiction. A lot of things around me back then made me love the theme so much. I remember reading a couple number of novels back then with the theme.
Lise: I see. Before we move to questions related to the award you won, allow me to ask you this one question. Why do you call yourself a writer?
Adedokun Ibrahim: Beautiful. I call anyone who writes to pass on a message to the people, or heal through his writings a writer. And I see myself walking towards this path of passing something on to the world, so I call myself a writer.
Lise: Awesome. I like how you just put it in simple yet deep words.
Adedokun Ibrahim: Thank you.
Lise: Now, please tell me about your journey to Africa Teen Awards/poetry category. What made you go for it?
Adedokun Ibrahim: (Smiles) One of the tough times of writing is submitting to journals, contents, keeping high hope while dealing with rejections. I dealt with tons of them.
Lise: I know…
Adedokun Ibrahim: One of the people who kept their hopes alive by me, apart from my brothers was a lady called Thuwaybah. She sent me the African Teen Awards submission link. I remember surfing through some of my poems, and I submitted immediately that night. I was motivated to submit right away because the contest was themed free. And I had just written the beautiful piece then.
Lise: Wow! I have read “This Poem Leads Back Home” and I liked that part where you used your mother tongue. Why that poem? What does it mean to you personally?
Adedokun Ibrahim: Well, I chose the poem because I felt this is Africa, and it’s a great thing to write about culture or language, since we care so much about it. The poem fitted right within those. It means so much to me because I was raised communicating with the Yoruba language and I love that. It gets at me when I mix with other people who feel a kind of shame speaking in their mother tongue or even pretend, they only understand English just to be classed ‘the educated ones’. So, I composed the poem based on a scene I witnessed, a neighbour who cautioned his kid from speaking in Yoruba language and only wanted him to speak English.
Lise: This is relatable even in my country. The “educated” are those who speak French or English, then misspell their own language hhhh
Adedokun Ibrahim: Hahaha. I don’t call that education. Brain washed to bite off your own pride.
Lise: I know right. Now tell me, Ibrahim. How did you feel when you knew you were the winner of Africa Teen Awards?
Adedokun Ibrahim: A very great moment to recall. For weeks I kept my hope alive. You know……there were other great writers who submitted for this same contest. On that great day, I informed my family the winner will be announced. I was out throughout the day, and on my way back home, I checked the YouTube channel to follow the program live, later on, I heard my name, I rewinded so many times to confirm before I announce to my people. I couldn’t scream or jump as I wanted to because I was on the highway. Getting home, I informed my sleeping brother, (laughs) he asked me to swear so he could believe, and it turned out to be true. In fact, my mother prostrated to thank God. It was a beautiful day. Alhamdulillaah.
Lise: To God be the glory. I can feel the excitement you had. Ibrahim, what is your next move regarding your writing career if I may say so?
Adedokun Ibrahim: I really want to improve my writing generally, you know, winning contents is not the peak, I have to improve to write more beautiful pieces that will grant me publications in more esteemed magazines.
I also want to become a Foyle Young Poet, and have a poem in The Poetry Foundation, I’m rooting for that space. I ask Allah to guide me through.
Lise: Wishing you God-speed on that. Thank you for your time, Ibrahim. I wish you success in your future endeavours
Adedokun Ibrahim: Thank you so much too, and have a great day.
