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Kola Tubosun

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Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún
Born
Kolawole Olugbemiro Olatubosun Oladapo

22 September 1981 (1981-09-22) (age 44)
Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria
Other namesKola Olatubosun
Alma mater
Occupations
Known for
Notable work
  • "Edwardsville by Heart", a collection of poetry
  • "Ìgbà Èwe", the translated poems of Emily R. Grosholz
  • Ebrohimie Road -- a documentary film (2024)
SpouseTemie Giwa
Websitekolatubosun.com

Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún (Yoruba: [kɔ́lá túbɔ̀sṹ] ⓘ; born 22 September 1981) is a Nigerian linguist, writer, and film-maker[1][2][3][4] best known for his work in African digital humanities. A Fulbright Fellow and Chevening Scholar, Túbọ̀sún has led efforts to integrate African languages into global technology, including the introduction of Nigerian English to Google’s voice recognition systems. He is the publisher of the literary platform OlongoAfrica and the director of the documentary Ebrohimie Road: A Museum of Memory (2024). In 2016, he became the first African to receive the Premio Ostana "Special Prize" for his advocacy in indigenous language rights.[5][6][7] He is currently the Africa editor of the Best Literary Translations anthology, published by Deep Vellum.[8]

Biography

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Túbọ̀sún was born in Ibadan, Nigeria. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Ibadan (2005) and a Master's degree in Linguistics from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (2012).[9] He was a Fulbright Scholar in 2009, teaching Yoruba at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.[10][11] In 2019, he was awarded a Chevening Research Fellowship at the British Library in London, where he worked with the library's 19th-century African language printed collection.[12][13]

Language technology and advocacy

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Túbọ̀sún is a pioneer in the intersection of African linguistics and technology advocating for the "digital sovereignty" of African languages.[14][15] In 2015, he founded YorubaName.com, a multimedia dictionary and lexicography project, which created the first accessible digital archive of Yoruba names.

The project created the first accessible digital archive of Yoruba names and their meanings, later expanding to include a free Yoruba keyboard software for Mac and Windows to facilitate digital communication in indigenous languages.[16][17][18]

Túbọ̀sún’s work with Google Nigeria was instrumental in the localization of the Google Assistant, leading to the 2019 launch of the Nigerian English voice accent—a landmark recognition of the dialect by a major tech company.[19][20][21][22][23] He also led the successful campaign to include Yoruba as a supported language on Twitter (now X)[24][25][26][27][28] and served as a consultant for the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), contributing to the historical inclusion of Nigerian English entries in 2019.[29]

Literary and cultural preservation

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Kola Tubosun

As a cultural archivist, Túbọ̀sún focuses on preserving African intellectual history through film, translation, and publishing.[30][31][32][33][34][35]

In 2018, Túbọ̀sún was awarded the Miles Morland Writing Scholarship to write a biography of Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka.[36][37][38] This research part-influenced in his debut feature documentary, Ebrohimie Road: A Museum of Memory (2024).[39] The film chronicles Soyinka’s life in the University of Ibadan bungalow where the writer was arrested in 1967.[40][41][42] The documentary has been acquired for the African Studies collections of major institutions, including Harvard University, Yale University, Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Chicago.[43][44]

Túbọ̀sún is the publisher and editor-in-chief of OlongoAfrica, a platform for creative writing and journalism. In 2023, Tubosun led the 'Black Orpheus Revisited' project, a digital archival initiative funded by the Open Society Foundations to digitize and preserve the complete run of the influential literary journal Black Orpheus journal (1957–1975).[45] The project, which draws from his personal collection of the magazines, was featured in The World of Interiors in September 2025.[46]

He previously edited Aké Review and served as the Africa Editor for the inaugural Best Literary Translations anthology (Deep Vellum, 2024).[47][48][49] He is a prolific translator,[50] having translated works by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, Haruki Murakami, Chimamanda Adichie, Wole Soyinka, James Baldwin, and others into Yoruba.[51][52][53][54] His second poetry collection, Ìgbà Èwe (2021), features original Yoruba translations of poetry by American philosopher Emily Grosholz.[55][56] In September 2019, Tubosun co-founded The Brick House Cooperative, with eight other publications [57][58][59] with the aim of presenting independent viewpoints from all around the world. He became the founding editor-in-chief and publisher of OlongoAfrica, a literary-journalistic platform for new creative writing from Africa.[60] He's also a travel writer.[61][62]

Selected works

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The Premio Ostana, a glass-art sculpture and a medal, created by Silvio Vigliaturo, a famous contemporary Italian artist and glass sculptor.

Books

  • Edwardsville by Heart (2018) – Poetry/Travelogue
  • Ìgbà Èwe (2021) – Poetry (Bilingual)
  • Best Literary Translations 2024 (Co-Editor)
  • Èṣù at the Library (2024)[63]

Filmography

Edited

  • Best Literary Translations anthology (co-editor) 2024-date
  • Edo North: Field Studies of the Languages and Lands of the Northern Edo (ed., 2011). Essays in Honour of Professor Ben O. Elugbe. Zenith Book House.[65]
  • NTLitMag: 29 Issues (2012–2015)[66]

Awards and honors

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Personal life

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His father, Olatubosun Oladapo, was a poet and journalist. His sister, Yemi Adesanya, is an accountant and author. His wife, Temie Giwa, founded LifeBank, a health logistics company. He lives between Lagos, Nigeria and Minneapolis, Minnesota.[73]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Olofinlua, Temitayo (25 May 2015). "Nigerian Scholar Creates an Online Home for Yoruba Names". Global Press Journal. Global Press. Archived from the original on 4 September 2015. With the help of volunteers and crowdsourcing contributors, he is creating an online compendium of Yoruba names with meanings and aural pronunciations.
  2. ^ Wikina, Ebenezar. "A Stroll with Kola Tubosun, Teacher, Writer, Linguist and Founder, YorubaName.com". HuffPost. Archived from the original on 16 April 2016. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  3. ^ "Writing a New Nigeria: Ideas of Identity" , BBC Radio 4,
  4. ^ Kan, Toni (13 July 2024). "Ebrohimie Road – from Soyinka's Shrine to Fashina's Altar – Toni Kan". The Lagos Review. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  5. ^ a b Utor, Florence (31 January 2016). "Tobosun Receives International Award For Mother Tongue Literature 2016". The Guardian. Nigeria. Archived from the original on 25 March 2016.
  6. ^ a b Uhakheme, Ozolua (25 January 2016). "Nigerian author wins Premio Ostana award for scriptures". The Nation. Archived from the original on 14 March 2016. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
  7. ^ a b "Giunge a conclusione l'ottava edizione del Premio Ostana". 5 June 2016. Archived from the original on 6 June 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  8. ^ Anothai, Noh; Call, Wendy; Tekten, Oyku; Tubosun, Kola (19 April 2024). Hirshfield, Jane (ed.). Best Literary Translations 2024. Deep Vellum. ISBN 978-1-64605-335-3.
  9. ^ "Alumnus Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún's Work on Preserving African Languages". www.siue.edu. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  10. ^ "SIUE Alumnus Named to International Innovator's List". www.siue.edu. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  11. ^ "Alumnus Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún's Work on Preserving African Languages". www.siue.edu. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  12. ^ "Yorùbá Academy appoints Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún programme director". 10 February 2021. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
  13. ^ "African Literature through the Language Lens: The Yorùbá Example - Asian and African studies blog". blogs.bl.uk. Archived from the original on 1 February 2020. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  14. ^ "On Lionheart's Oscar ban: Is Nigerian English a Foreign Language?". African Arguments. 6 November 2019. Archived from the original on 26 January 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  15. ^ "In Africa, Rescuing the Languages that Western Tech Ignores". VOA. 27 December 2021. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
  16. ^ "Yoruba keyboard layouts for Windows and Mac". Radar from TechCabal. 8 August 2015. Archived from the original on 27 April 2016. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  17. ^ "Yorubaname Team Launch Yoruba and Igbo keyboards - Gadget Reviews Nigeria". 20 July 2016. Archived from the original on 25 July 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  18. ^ "Combined Igbo, Yoruba keyboard made available on Yorubaname.com". 18 July 2016. Archived from the original on 9 August 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  19. ^ Kazeem, Yomi (31 July 2019). "How Google created a Nigerian voice and accent for Maps". Quartz Africa. Archived from the original on 31 July 2019. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
  20. ^ Okike, Samuel (26 July 2019). "How Kola Tubosun and his team gave Google a Nigerian accent". Techpoint.Africa. Archived from the original on 28 July 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  21. ^ "Google's new Nigerian accent". Public Radio International. 2 August 2019. Archived from the original on 2 August 2019. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  22. ^ "Google goes Nigerian with local accent, 'informal' transit routes". Reuters. 24 July 2019. Archived from the original on 31 July 2019. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
  23. ^ TechCabal (4 February 2019). "Kola Tubosun (@kolatubosun) is returning to Google as project manager for Natural Language Processing Tasks, and we're hoping this would help improve the local experience with Google products.pic.twitter.com/lhPj1CLSwz". @TechCabal. Archived from the original on 10 November 2019. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
  24. ^ Egbunike, Nwachukwu (2013). "Nigerians Shake Up Twitter with Yoruba-Language Tweets". Global Voices. Archived from the original on 24 April 2016. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  25. ^ Oluwafemi, Bankole (2 March 2012). "Twitter Promises Support For Yoruba in Coming Months". TechLoy. Archived from the original on 5 April 2016. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  26. ^ "Twitter Can Now be Translated into Yoruba". Encomium. 4 December 2014. Archived from the original on 14 September 2015.
  27. ^ Bankole, Oluwafemi (14 November 2014). "It Took Only Two Years, But Twitter Is Finally Getting Translated into Yoruba". TechCabal. Archived from the original on 6 October 2015. As we speak, Kola and others are working to translate the Twitter's standard glossary of terms.
  28. ^ Elusoji, Solomon (21 April 2015). "Cultural Export". This Day Live. Archived from the original on 2 April 2016. Retrieved 30 March 2016 – via AllAfrica. An online Yoruba dictionary has been launched to help the Yoruba race in Nigeria go beyond borders.
  29. ^ "Release notes: Nigerian English". Oxford English Dictionary. 13 January 2020. Archived from the original on 27 January 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  30. ^ Uche, Nmadiuto (24 August 2015), "Review of The Sail | An Anthology of Writings by Students in a Lagos Secondary School", Brittle Paper. Archived 20 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine.
  31. ^ "First Breath From Whitesands: A review by Tade Ipadeola", Sabi News, 3 July 2015.
  32. ^ "The Sail: Whitesands Schools Launch 2nd Edition of Students' Creativity Compendium". Archived from the original on 27 May 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  33. ^ "Whitesands students bring magic in the second edition of 'The Sail'". Sabi News. 25 May 2016. Archived from the original on 12 June 2016. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
  34. ^ Ogundare, Tunbosun (26 May 2016). "Our students literary works yielding results". National Mirror. Archived from the original on 4 June 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  35. ^ Edoro, Ainehi (1 June 2016). "Whitesands School Celebrates the Next Generation of African Writers". Brittle Paper. Archived from the original on 24 June 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  36. ^ "Tubosun gets 18,000pounds for winning Morland scholarship". The Nation. Nigeria. 5 December 2018. Archived from the original on 6 December 2018. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  37. ^ Obi-Young, Otosirieze (28 November 2018). "The 4 Winners of the 2018 Miles Morland Scholarships". Brittle Paper. Archived from the original on 6 December 2018. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  38. ^ Udodiong, Inemesit (27 November 2018). "Meet the 2018 winners of the Morland Writing Scholarship". www.pulse.ng. Archived from the original on 6 December 2018. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  39. ^ Writer, Guest (16 July 2024). "Ebrohimie road as a living archive: A review". TheCable. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  40. ^ ""Ebrohimie Road: A Museum of Memory" Explores Wole Soyinka's Life". Nollywood Reporter. 13 June 2024. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  41. ^ "'Ebrohimie Road' Review: Memorials to the Man Who Lives | IfeOluwa Nihinlola". Isele Magazine. 24 July 2024. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  42. ^ "Rediscovering Soyinka on Ebrohimie Road, by Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún". World Literature Today. Retrieved 14 December 2025.
  43. ^ O, Ijapa (26 January 2025). "Setting Forth from Ebrohimie Road". The Republic. Retrieved 14 December 2025.
  44. ^ https://x.com/OlongoAfrica/status/1974187202847649873?s=20. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  45. ^ Africa, Olongo (23 March 2025). "Presenting the Digitized Black Orpheus Journals". Olongo Africa. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  46. ^ Túbọ̀sún, Kọ́lá (6 August 2025). "How Black Orpheus magazine shaped modern African literature". The World Of Interiors. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  47. ^ "The Best Literary Translations 2024 Anthology: Call for Submissions from Deep Vellum". World Literature Today. 13 October 2022. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  48. ^ "The Best Literary Translations 2024 anthology: Call for Submissions". Deep Vellum. 24 October 2022. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  49. ^ "BOMB Magazine | Noh Anothai, Wendy Call, Öykü Tekten, and Kọ́lá…". BOMB Magazine. Retrieved 14 December 2025.
  50. ^ Túbọ̀sún, Kọ́lá (2019). "The Shivering". Absinthe. 26 (1).
  51. ^ Jalada (22 March 2016). "Jalada Translation Issue 01: Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o". Jalada Africa. Archived from the original on 27 April 2017. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  52. ^ Ibeh, Chukwuebuka (21 July 2022). "Kola Tubosun Translates Haruki Murakami's Story into Yoruba". brittlepaper.com. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  53. ^ "Absinthe: A Journal of World Literature in Translation". quod.lib.umich.edu. Archived from the original on 19 June 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  54. ^ "Yoruba poetry workshop: Translating Túbọ̀sún Ọládàpọ̀ with Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún". www.poetrytranslation.org. Archived from the original on 30 January 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  55. ^ Salawu, Ọlájídé (15 June 2021). "Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún Announces Second Poetry Collection, Ìgbà Èwe". Open Country Mag. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  56. ^ Edoro, Ainehi (15 June 2021). "Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún Translates American Poetry to Yoruba in New Book Ìgbà Èwe". Brittle Paper. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  57. ^ Bustillos, Maria (25 August 2020). "Introducing the Brick House: The wolf-proof media cooperative". Columbia Journalism Review. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  58. ^ Moore, David (25 August 2020). "Introducing Brick House, a Co-Op Against the Wolves That Killed Your Favorite Websites". Sludge. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  59. ^ "Introducing Brick House, a Co-Op Against the Wolves That Killed Your Favorite Websites". Sludge. 25 August 2020. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
  60. ^ Murua, James (21 December 2020). "The Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún-published Olongo Africa is now here". Writing Africa. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
  61. ^ Okeke, Kanyi (27 September 2018). "Gala Seller Who Gave out his goods to prisoners meets Humans of New York Founder, Shares his experience as a prisoner". KanyiDaily. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  62. ^ "'Humans Of New York' Is In Lagos, Documenting The Stories Of Fascinating People". Konbini - All Pop Everything! (in French). Archived from the original on 4 November 2019. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  63. ^ "Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún to read from new poetry collection at Oxford University, UK". TheArtHub. 5 October 2024. Retrieved 31 December 2025.
  64. ^ Vourlias, Christopher (10 September 2022). "EbonyLife's Mo Abudu on Toronto Premiere 'The King's Horseman' and Legacy of Late Director Biyi Bandele". Variety. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  65. ^ Edo North: Field Studies of the Languages and Lands of the Northern Edo: Essays in Honour of Professor Ben O. Elugbe. Zenith Book House. 2011. ISBN 9789784885584. Archived from the original on 13 November 2018. Retrieved 10 April 2016 – via SOAS.
  66. ^ Túbọ̀sún, Kọ́lá (7 January 2020). "29 LitMag Issues Online". Medium. Archived from the original on 21 January 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  67. ^ "KỌ́LÁ TÚBỌ̀SÚN becomes first African to win Premio Ostana international language award". Sabi News. 26 January 2016. Archived from the original on 2 April 2016. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  68. ^ NG, Mirror (26 January 2016). "Nigerian Man becomes first African to win the Premio Ostana International Award for Mother Tongue Literature". Archived from the original on 15 March 2016. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  69. ^ Okuyeme, Tony (29 January 2016). "Tubosun wins Premio Ostana International Award". New Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2 April 2016. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  70. ^ "Dalla lingua Yoruba allo shar-chicham, nel borgo occitano di Ostana un festival per salvare le lingue minori". L'Huffington Post. 24 May 2016. Archived from the original on 31 May 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  71. ^ "Scritture in lingua madre Un patrimonio da salvare". LaStampa.it. 3 June 2016. Archived from the original on 25 June 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  72. ^ "Tubosun gets 18,000pounds for winning Morland scholarship". The Nation Newspaper. 4 December 2018. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  73. ^ "Nigerian Poet and Linguist Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún Celebrates His 40th in Style". brittlepaper.com. 26 November 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
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