Theresa Lola | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 6 May 1994 |
| Nationality | British Nigerian |
| Education | Kellogg College, Oxford, University of Hertfordshire |
| Occupation | Writer |
Notable work | In Search of Equilibrium |
| Awards | Brunel International African Poetry Prize |
Theresa Lola (born 6 May 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 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]
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]
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