A veteran poet renowned for his spoken word artistry moves from the stage to the page with new book deal with Newcastle publisher.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 20, 2021. United Kingdom— A Newcastle publisher, The Roaring Lion Newcastle LTD. recently signed a one-book deal with veteran Lagos-based writer, spoken word artiste and poet, Oloyede Michael Taiwo. The deal saw the publisher releasing Oloyede’s debut poetry collection titled “Lagos is Killing Me” on the 1st of March 2021.

The Newcastle imprint has been an avid promoter of African writers in the United Kingdom literary scene, and Oloyede joins the growing list of renowned authors signed to the growing imprint.

Synopsis of ‘Lagos is Killing Me’:

This collection of poems covers the expanse of human experience: love, life, death… They draw you into Oloyede’s world, a world where feelings and emotions take shape and breathe life through the sorcery of words. Mastery of language is one of the grandest heights of man’s intelligence. Man, we love words, be it in stories or songs or the lyricism of poetry. This is why Oloyede’s collection of poetry is a marvel. We open its pages to see words in their most flowery form.

Oloyede has a witty sense of style and he bends words to sooth his own meaning like a master blacksmith beats iron into shape. Like all true poets of conscience, Oloyede also took the time to write about the fate of his country and the malaise of corruption that besieges it. This is Oloyede’s first offering. And it is worth holding with awe.

Official Release Date: March 1, 2021.

‘Lagos is killing me’ was born out of sheer optimism, wonders of effectual words, curiosity, manning the gates of socio-economic cum political trends, observation of human daily life and the knack for voluptuous and poignant narratives.

I had a press in my spirit to document in unbridled form, the flow of impressions and shenanigans of the day-to-day activities in commerce, medicine and every facet of life; hence this potpourri of evocations. I want people to own their stories, learn from other people’s stories, and also have ideas on what used to be against what is and what should be. 

During my high school days, words were splashed on the walls of the staff room; and each time I went in, those words hypnotized me. I just loved how they spoke to me and wrapped their brittle talons around me. Those words, though mostly aphorisms, were tart enough to stir something in me – the will to speak words to life and events. So, I started writing on the themes of injustice, love, trust, faith, pain, hope, etc. And the aggregation of the documentation of those years birthed this humble book. ‘Lagos is killing me’, in the season of life. Books serve dual functions, though could be more; they allow us to slip into the past while peeping into the future – and also take us on a free journey in the wheel of other’s experiences and thereby begin to correct our views and cognitive bias.

I hope all readers find this first offering acceptable.

An Amazon Customer wrote, this is a great debut collection. This collection would appeal to all lovers of the written word. Oloyede’s poems paint vivid imageries and a myriad of emotions.

Oloyede is a master of language, a delightful poet, and I highly recommend his debut offering. This is one of my favourite poetry collections of the year.

‘Lagos is Killing Me’ is available now: https://theroaringlionnewcastle.com/shop/ and https://amzn.to/3arYrpI

About the Author:

Oloyede Michael Taiwo is a poet, storyteller, copywriter, scriptwriter, screenwriter, spoken-word artiste, playwright, producer and philomath.

He has appeared on different TV and radio stations, propagating the gospel according to poetry and holding conferences on politics and economic issues.

He wrote and produced the play, “Wrinkles, dimples, naira and bets,” during the Lagos Theatre Festival, 2020, in partnership with the British Council.

He has performed in several literary events and one of the largest gospel concerts in Lagos—Cross Concert.

He curates diverse didactic and literary events, such as: Learning With Celebrities Conference, Lagos Poetrython, Fireflies & Bumblebees and the Lagos Poetrython Spoken Word Academy.

He has been shortlisted for the Etisalat Flash Fiction Prize and long listed for the Quramo Writers’ Prize for literature. He loves psychedelic music and the riff of bass guitar strings. He is an associate of the Academy of Modern Applied Psychology and also an associate of Financial Freedom Academy, a financial solution organisation based in the U.K. He is also a transmedia content architect, product developer, integrated brand marketer and a certified finance and investment analyst.

Taiwo loves to meditate and enjoy the tranquillity of wandering in a liminal orifice.