Interviews
Here are a series of conversations I have conducted with writers, artists, colleagues whose work have interested me over the years; and some relevant interviews about my work, in language or creative writing, given to journalists over the years.
Photo Credit: Faber
Interviews conducted
The Prof. Soyinka Conversation with Kola Tubosun (Nov 17, 2021) | Jalada Africa/YouTube
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o on What It Means To Be Kenyan (July 2019) | For Google Arts & Culture
Conversation with Abi Dáre about African women, dreams and determination (October 24, 2020) | Aké Festival/YouTube
Of Gods, Books and Poetry: A Conversation With Jude Cowan Montague(September 2020) Maple Leaf Literary Supplement
“A Place is Illuminated in and by Absence” | Emmanuel Iduma & Kọlá Túbọ̀sún in Conversation (April 19, 2019) | BrittlePaper.com
Literature Isn’t Always Popular Culture (December 2017) | Interview with Tade Ipadeola | By Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún
Interview with Olúmidé Pópóọlá and Moghale Mashigho (November 2017) Aké Festival/YouTube
Conversation with Professor Ben Elugbe, member of the advisory board of the Nigeria Prize (video) | October 2, 2017
Conversation with Ogaga Ifowodo, author of A Good Mourning (video) | Tuesday, October 3, 2017
Conversation with Tanure Ojaide, author of Songs of Myself (video) | Wednesday, October 4, 2017
Conversation with Ikeogu Oke, author of The Heresiad (video) | Thursday, October 5, 2017
“Almost All Books Inspire Me to Write” (October 2017): Interview with Sarah Ladiipo Manyika on BrittlePaper
“I try to recreate the world through my dreams” (September 2017): Interview with Odafe Atógun ArtsAndAfrica
“It Starts from Writing Honestly” (August 2017): Interview with Wana Udobang on Brittle Paper
“I believe in truth-telling as a pathway to healing” (July 2017): Interview with Títílọpẹ́ Ṣónúgà on AfricanWriter
“My repression is as legitimate as your freedom” (February, 2017): A Conversation with Yemisí Aríbisálà
Interview with Ukamaka Olisakwe on her First Time Visit to the US (January 11, 2017) | Brittle Paper
“I Just Have Stories to Tell” (May, 2016) Interview with Nnedi Okorafor at AfricanWriter
“Searching for the Poetry of a Moment” (June, 2016) | Interview with Eloghosa Osunde at Brittle Paper
“There’s a Lot of Ignorance amongst Ourselves“ | (June, 2016) | Interview with Uche Okonkwo on KTravula
Interview with Emmanuel Iduma and Emeka Okereke (May, 2016) about the Invisible Borders roadtrip and more, on KTravula
“I Give Curiosity a Role” (May, 2016) Interview with Yagazie Emezi at Brittle Paper
“I Don’t Stumble Upon a Scene” (May, 2016) | Ankara Press Valentine Anthology (2015)Interview with Zaynab Ọdúnsì at KTravula
“Èṣù is not Satan” (April, 2016) | Interview with Oriṣà Priestess Ifáwẹ̀mímọ Omítọ̀nàdé in Brittle Paper
“Home is Always a Slippery Word” (November, 2015), interview with Namwali Serpell winner of the 2015 Caine Prize | In Ake Review.
Conversation with Niyi Osundare (November, 2015) in Ake Review
Interview with Eghosa Imasuen on publishing Ọbásanjọ’s memoir, et al. (August, 2015) at Brittle Paper
Títílọpẹ́ Sónúgà “On Becoming a Poet” | Brittle Paper (January, 2015)
“A Prize is Only As Good as Those Who Enter” Lizzy Attree | Ake Review (October, 2014)
In Conversation with Bassey Ikpi (April, 2014) at NTLitMag
Questions for Emmanuel Sigauke (November, 2013) NigeriansTalk
Questions for Ivor W. Hartmann (November 9, 2013)
Conversation with Tade Ipadeola (October, 2013) about the Nigerian Prize for Literature, poetry, Sahara Testaments and others, at NTLitMag
In Conversation with Aaron Bady about Chimamanda Adichie, Caine Prize, Elnathan John and other things literature (July, 2013) at NTLitMag
Conversation with Tọ́pẹ́ Fọlárìn about Miracle (July, 2013) at NTLitMag
When Aliens Took Lagos (May, 2013) | Interview with Nnedi Okorafor in the UK Guardian
10 Questions for Mafoya Dossoumon (January, 2013) NigeriansTalk
Conversation with Rotimi Babatunde on winning the Caine Prize (August, 2012) | at NTLitMag
Questions for Peter Akinlabi In The Sentinel Champions #3
Questions for Ivor Hartman (June, 2010) Sentinel Nigeria
10 Questions for Paula Varsavsky (March, 2010) on 234Next.
“I Started Speaking English When I Was 15” (October, 2009) | Interview with Peter Akinlabí
Photo Credit: Aké Arts and Book Festival
Interviews granted
In Conversation with Afreada (February, 2024)
In Conversation with Akin Oseni on language and translation (October 26, 2021) | Zoom video
Where Will Our Voices Go: The Future of African Languages(October 24, 2021) | Lagos Poetry Festival
Education in Nigeria: How to Fix It (October 12, 2021) | Rubbin' Minds
Voice Concerns: The Need for Diversity in Voice AI Datasets (September 2, 2021) | MozillaFest
Interview with BBCYorùbá on Nigeria’s Publishing Industry and the Role of Language. (September 1, 2021)
Nigeria's indefinite Twitter ban sounds the alarm on free speech (June 10, 2021) | The World/NPR
On language, Quotes and Life (June 8, 2021) | The Swinging Palm Trees Podcast
Twitter Banned In Nigeria After Deletion of President Buhari's Tweet (June 8, 2021) | Black News Channel
On Channels Bookclub (May 18, 2021) | Channels TV
Lagos Colloquium with Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún (March, 2021) with AI Saturdays
Nigerian Presidents Should Speak Their Native Language In Meetings With World Leaders? (February 24, 2021). News Central TV
Securing The Nigerian Mother Tongue | Rubbin’ Minds (February 21, 2021) Channels TV
Drum Codes [Part 1]: The Language of Talking Drums (January 11, 2021) | SpokenWeb Podcast
In conversation with Ukamaka Olisakwe on Google, Translations, African Literature and the English Expression (July 28, 2020) Isele Magazine
“Liberating Languages: A Conversation with Victoria Adukwei Bulley, Damian Le Bas and Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún” (June 2, 2020) | PEN Transmissions
Language is Resilient (April 1, 2020) | An interview for the “First Drafts” on The Republic NG
On BBC Radio 3’s The Verb | (March 20, 2020) Obsolescence and the language of the no-longer useful, with William Gibson, Don Paterson and Caro C and Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún.
Sustaining Indigenous Languages In Nigeria (March 10, 2020) | The Late Wire Podcast
29 Nigerian English Words Have Been Added to the Oxford Dictionary—Here's What That Means (February 03, 2020) OkayAfrica
Twenty-nine Nigerian English words added to the Oxford English Dictionary (January 29, 2020) Interview on the BBC World Service
Interview on NewsDay about the new Nigerian English words in the OED (January 29, 2020) | On the BBC, from the 47 minutes mark.
On Google's New Nigerian Accent (August 2, 2019) | An audio interview about the Nigerian English accent on Google Assistants and Maps for The World/BBC.
Q&A: “Poetry as a Vehicle for Telling Stories and Interrogating Memory.”Uchechukwu Peter Umezurike interviews Kólá Túbòsún (18 April, 2019)| AfricainWords
Wombwell Rainbow Interviews: Kola Túbọ̀ṣún (November 25, 2018)
Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún in conversation with Jude Cowan Montague on The News Agents on Resonance FM, London. (November 10,2018)
Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún in conversation with Debbie Golt of Outerglobe on Resonance FM, London (November 8, 2018)
“Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún: Renaissance is Badly Needed in African Language Literature.” (January 2018) AfricanWriter.com
A Father’s Apprehensions and Fascinations—Interview with Kola Túbọ̀ṣún (September 30) Saraba Magazine
Reminiscing Travels: A Conversation between Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún and Adédàpò Treasure (December 28, 2018)
“Literature is Like Hot Àmàlà”: Interview with Saturday Sun. (September 2017)
Ka’ssa INTERVIEW with KOLA TÚBỌ̀ṢÚN (2017)
Interview With Yorùbá Writer Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún (October 13, 2016) | On OrishaImage.com
Interview: Kola Tubosun on Using Digital Technology to Counteract Cultural Amnesia (September 19, 2016) by Torinmo Salau on BrittlePaper.com
“An e-Book is a Book” – Nigerian Poet and Linguist (27 September 2013)|On Global Voices
Pirates of Nigeria: Kola Tubosun on Copyright and Intellectual Property (July 1, 2013)
Conversation with Kola Tubosun, Author and Linguist (March 3, 2011) Image Nations
Kola Tubosun and Ivor W. Hartmann in conversation about African Roar and writing at Sentinel Nigeria (June 21, 2010)
Interviews (with others) about Language
Conversation with a Lecturer (April 1, 2022)
Conversation with a Language Engineer (July 23, 2020)
Conversation with a Philologist (February 19, 2020)
Conversation with a Polyglot (February 1, 2020)
Conversation with a Conlanger (January 11, 2019)
Panels & Talks
Best Literary Translations 2024 with Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún, Sherod Santos, Edith Adams, and Jeanine Legato (June 18, 2024)
Episode 1: Digital From An African Perspective (October 2022) | Open Restitution, featuring Temi Odumosu, Minne Atairu, Molemo Moiloa, Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún, Samba Yonga, Mulenga Kapwepwe, Neema Iyer, Chao T. Maina
Episode 2: Digital Collections (October 2022) | Open Restitution, featuring Temi Odumosu, Minne Atairu, Molemo Moiloa, Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún, Samba Yonga, Mulenga Kapwepwe, Neema Iyer, Chao T. Maina
"Wielding the Power in Language" by Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún (October 2021) | "On Display" Storytellers event
Lingua Fracas: Problems and Opportunities for Linguistics in African Literature in Translation (October 2021) AfricaNLP Workshop
Dark Matters: Bias in Speech AI (June 2021) Pioneer Works
Limitations and Opportunities for Language Technology (March 2021) AI Saturdays for Lagos
African Digital Storytelling Symposium - Day 1 (October 2020) University of Kansas
How Should We Write Yorùbá? (Day 1) (September 2020) British Library Webinar (September 2020)
How Should We Write Yorùbá? (Day 2) (September 2020) British Library Webinar
Yorùbá; Linguistic Vehicle or Value System (December 2019) Aké Arts and Book Festival, with Àrìnpé Adéjùmọ̀, Fẹ́mi Taiwo, and Fèyíkẹ́mi Níyì-Ọláyínká