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Essays & Criticism

On language,
place, and politics

Published in Foreign Policy, Popula, The World of Interiors, Brittle Paper, the British Library Blog, and elsewhere — on Yorùbá, technology, Nigerian politics, African literature, and the world.

Worth starting with

Popula · 2018

A House for Mister Ṣóyínká

A day spent with Africa's first Nobel Laureate on his Ibadan campus — the essay that eventually grew into the film Ebrohimie Road.

World of Interiors · 2025

Beier's Market

On how Black Orpheus — the journal Ulli Beier launched in Ibadan in 1957 — shaped the course of modern African literature.

African Arguments · 2019

On Lionheart's Oscar Ban

When the Academy disqualified Genevieve Nnaji's film for being in Nigerian English, it raised a question worth asking: is Nigerian English a foreign language?

Essays & Arguments

  • Who Wants a War in West Africa?Popula · 2023
  • Nigeria's Last General Departs the Political StageForeign Policy · 2023
  • A Statement of Solidarity with Gaza from 100+ Literary TranslatorsLiterary Hub · 2023
  • Nigeria's Presidential Candidates Are Deeply UninspiringForeign Policy · 2022
  • Nigeria's Twitter Ban Is Another Sign Dictatorship Is BackForeign Policy · 2021
  • Trump's Nigerian Ban Is About Race, Not SecurityForeign Policy · 2020
  • Writing Africa's Future in New CharactersPopula · 2020
  • How Should We Write Yorùbá?British Library Blog · 2020
  • African Literature Through the Language Lens: The Yorùbá ExampleBritish Library Blog · 2019
  • On African Languages and Literature: Lessons from KoreaAgbowó · 2018
  • My Feminism: On the Necessity of MenBrittle Paper · 2016

Books & Reviews

  • Ogadinma: Book Title as Prayer — Ukamaka OlisakweThe Lagos Review · 2020
  • Ulli Beier at the British LibraryBritish Library Blog · 2020
  • Thoughts on Freshwater — Akwaeke EmeziKTravula.com · 2018
  • Níyì Ọ̀ṣúndáre: A Literary BiographyBrittle Paper · 2017
  • Ngugi's Tribute to Memory — on Birth of a Dream WeaverBrittle Paper · 2017
  • Art Chasing Life Blatantly — on Chibundu Onuzo's Welcome to LagosBrittle Paper · 2017
  • A Diligent Retelling — on Teju Cole's essay collectionKTravula.com · 2016

Literature & Travel

  • Lingua Fracas in RioPopula · 2022
  • A Lagos of MemoriesGoogle Arts & Culture · 2021
  • London in September, a Homage to MemoryThe Lagos Review · 2019
  • Humans of New York Visits LagosPopula · 2019
  • Rediscovering Ṣóyínká on Ebrohimie RoadWorld Literature Today · 2024
  • A Short History of My FaceAfricanWriter · 2010

Language & Technology

  • Africa Represented: Technology Issues in African LanguagesThe Linguist · 2022
  • Poetic Evolution: When the Translator Becomes LexicographerThe Linguist · 2022
  • Early Yorùbá Books at the British LibraryBritish Library Blog · 2020
  • Progress and Directions in Mobile TonemarkingMedium · 2018
  • Wetin Dey? Nigerian Pidgin and Its Many Pikin — for the National Theatre, London2017
  • Raising a BilingualMedium · 2016
  • Èṣù Isn't the Devil; But You Knew That AlreadyYorubaName Blog · 2016
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