Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún to read from new poetry collection at Oxford University, UK

By Editor

NIGERIAN writer and linguist, Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún will read from his new poetry collection Èṣù at the Library at the University of Oxford, St. Anne’s College in November 2024. The collection will be released at the end of October 2024. The author will be present not only to field questions about his new collection, but to “discuss language, the representation of Yorùbá and other African languages in AI translation tools, travel writing, and the future of language in translation.”

Ẹ̀ṣù at the Library is Túbọ̀sún’s third book but second poetry collection. His debut work, Edwardsville by Heart was published in 2018 by Wisdom’s Bottom Press, based in Pembroke College, Oxford. It was part-travelogue part memoir of his time spent in Southern Illinois in the United States between 2009 and 2012.

In 2021, Túbọ̀sún published Ìgbà Èwe: Translated Poems of Emily R. Grosholz, which is a bilingual collection featuring translations into Yorùbá of poems originally published in English by a Pennslyvanian philosopher and poet.

In Èṣù at the Library, first published in Nigeria by Masobe Books, Túbọ̀sún takes the mistranslation of Èṣù by Samuel Ajayi Crowther in 1843 as an anchor to explore the legacy of Britain in his cultural and linguistic imagination, layered upon a travel adventure from 2019 to 2020 when he lived in London as a Chevening Research Fellow. Against the background of the global pandemic and the later #EndSARS protests in Lagos, Túbọ̀sún engages with language, empire, and the dialectics of Èṣù, a deity he situates as a permanent resident of the British Library.

Ès̀u at the Library is a poetry collection exploring themes of language, culture, identity, and displacement. It draws inspiration from the Yorùbá deity of the same name, which embodyies change and uncertainty. The poems reflect on the author’s experiences as a Nigerian linguist living in London during the COVID-19 pandemic and the #EndSARS protests.

Èṣù is a significant deity in the Yorùbá pantheon, often associated with crossroads, communication, and the unpredictable nature of life. The collection takes its name from Èṣù‘s presence at the British Library, where the author encounters a historical misrepresentation of the deity as the devil by Samuel Ajayi Crowther in 1843. This encounter becomes a metaphor for broader themes of cultural misunderstanding and the impact of colonialism on language and perception.

Kola Tubosun

Túbọ̀sún’s experiences as a Nigerian living in London are central to the collection. The poems capture his observations of daily life in a foreign city, from navigating public transportation to encounters with diverse cultures and accents. He reflects on feelings of displacement, cultural differences, and the longing for home while grappling with the global anxieties of the pandemic and political unrest in both Nigeria and the UK.

Language plays a crucial role in shaping the collection’s themes. Túbọ̀sún explores the nuances of language, highlighting the complexities of communication across cultures. He examines the power of language to both unite and divide, to preserve and distort cultural understanding. The poems often blend English with Yorùbá words and phrases, emphasizing the richness and fluidity of language in shaping identity.

The misrepresentation of Èṣù in Crowther’s dictionary becomes symbolic of the broader impact of colonialism on African cultures. Túbọ̀sún subtly critiques the ways in which colonial powers have historically distorted and demonized indigenous beliefs and practices. He reflects on the enduring legacies of colonialism in shaping contemporary perceptions and power dynamics.

The pandemic serves as a backdrop to many poems, influencing the author’s experiences and observations. He captures the anxieties, isolation, and disruptions caused by the pandemic, highlighting how it reshaped social interactions and daily life in London. He reflects on themes of vulnerability, uncertainty, and the fragility of human connection in the face of a global crisis.

While the collection is primarily set in London, Túbọ̀sún draws parallels between his experiences abroad and the realities of life in Nigeria. He reflects on the #EndSARS protests, police brutality, and political corruption, drawing connections between the struggles for social justice and equality in both locations.

The collection offers a nuanced exploration of identity, culture, and the power of language in a globalized world. It encourages reflection on the complexities of intercultural understanding, the enduring legacies of colonialism, and the search for meaning and connection amidst uncertainty and change. Ultimately, it celebrates the resilience of culture and the power of language to bridge divides and illuminate shared human experiences.

Túbọ̀sún is the publisher of OlongoAfrica. He is a Fulbright scholar (2009), Miles Morland Writing Fellow (2018), and Chevening Research Fellow at the British Library (2019/2020). He has translated the works of Chimamanda Adichie, Haruki Murakami, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Wole Soyinka, James Baldwin, Sarah Ladipo-Manyika, Cervantes, and others between English and Yorùbá. He’s the current Africa co-editor of Best Literary Translations, an annual anthology of translations published by Deep Vellum in Texas. His work in language advocacy earned him the Premio Ostana Special Prize in Cuneo Italy in 2016. He can be reached at www.kolatubosun.com.