Theresa Lola

Theresa Lola (born 1994) is a British Nigerian poet and writer. She was joint winner of the 2018 Brunel International African Poetry Prize.[1] In April 2019, she was announced as the 2019 Young People's Laureate for London.[2]

Theresa Lola
Born1994
Lagos, Nigeria
NationalityBritish Nigerian
EducationKellogg College, Oxford, University of Hertfordshire
OccupationWriter
Notable work
In Search of Equilibrium
AwardsBrunel International African Poetry Prize

Early life

Theresa Lola was born in Lagos, Nigeria, and moved to London, England in 2007 when she was 13. In 2015, she graduated with a first-class degree in Accounting and Finance from the University of Hertfordshire.[3]

Career

After university, Lola took part in the Barbican Young Poets programme.[4] Shortly after she was shortlisted for the 2016 Bridport Poetry Prize,[5] and later won the 2017 Hammer and Tongue National Poetry Slam.[6] In 2018, she was joint winner of the 2018 Brunel International African Poetry Prize. In that same year she was commissioned by the Mayor of London's Office to write and read a poem at the unveiling of Millicent Fawcett's statue at Parliament Square.[7] A year later, in April 2019, she was announced as the 2019 Young People's Laureate for London. In 2019 Lola's debut full-length poetry collection In Search of Equilibrium was published by Nine Arches Press, described by Pascale Petit as a "glorious hymn to being alive and wounded".[8]

References
  1. "Theresa Lola is joint winner of Brunel International African Poetry Prize". The Poetry Society.
  2. Varghese, Sanjana (19 April 2019). "Theresa Lola named young people's laureate for London". The Guardian.
  3. "Women We Watch: Theresa Lola". Tatty Devine.
  4. "Impossible Things About Optimism" (PDF). Barbican Centre.
  5. "2016 Shortlists". The Bridport Prize.
  6. Lydia, Smith. "New UK Poetry Slam champion crowned at the Royal Albert Hall". Royal Albert Hall.
  7. Alexandra, Topping. "This article is more than 1 year old First statue of a woman in Parliament Square unveiled". The Guardian.
  8. "In Search of Equilibrium". Nine Arches Press.


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