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Theresa Lola

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

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]

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.