By: Yusuff, Uthman Adekola
Linguist and Fullbright scholar Kola Tubosun has, on Saturday, 3rd November, talked about his latest poetry book entitled ‘Edwardsville by Heart’.
This was during a book reading event which took place within the premises of the University of Ibadan and was organized by Arts’n’Chill, a subsidiary of Agbowo Art; the reading session was in form of a talk show hosted by dramatist and author, Ayodele Olofintuade.
Tubosun, explaining the reason behind his book, mentioned that he wrote the poems as a record of his experiences while in Edwardsville, Illinois, from 2009-2012 as he realized the United States was not too much of a perfect place as he had always believed, while also noting that the book could serve as a tourist guide.
Responding to questions from the audience, he stated that he loved to learn new things and gain new experiences; he also talked about his younger years in Ibadan which has been an influence to his art and cultural enthusiasm.
“I like to experience new things and learn… finding friends and letting every experience seep through me.”
“Growing up in a cultural space helped to show that art is everywhere, and you can be who you are and still create art. You don’t have to be eccentric.”
Towards the end of the event, Kola Tubosun revealed that he was currently on a scholarship to write ‘a non-fiction biography of Wole Soyinka’.
“What’s going to come out of it is my own take about Soyinka. I’m hoping it won’t be a book that others have written. I want it to be unique and stand out from other books about Wole Soyinka.”
