POETRY INVOICE ON A TALK WITH FRANCIS SALAKO

WELCOME for today's INTERVIEW SECTION. I'm Judiasky, the HOST for today, & I'm in with my wonderful GUEST.

H: we are happy to have you here sir. Can you please give a brief intro about yourself?

G: Thank you very much. My name is Oluwapelumi Francis Salako

H: Can you tell us what you do for a living, sir?

G: I am a student of history and International studies at the University of Ilorin. I basically write to support myself.

H: Wow! you write to support yourself. I love that!. In details, can you tell us what made you a writer, except to support yourself which we minnow already?

G: We all know that gift and talent aren't that hard to deal with... OR DO YOU FIND WRITING VERY HARD?. Well. Writing for me happen to occur as a gift enforced by the passion. Having the gift of writing does still not erase all of the mental stress and anxiety. It's nearly all of the same process.

H: Wow! but on the contrary, what makes it hard, for you hence its a gift and gift aren't meant to trouble one.

G: Well, let's just conform that it's one thing to have a tool and it's another to put it into use. Putting it into use will require effort, extra effort. And that's just the price for it.

H: But you just told us you're studying history. How come you still have time for writing? Or you is that your primary assignment as a student?

G: Laughs. History doesn't eat all of my time. And beyond history being very effort sapping, I still get to slate my schedule. it works for me that way.

H: Wow! I have learnt nìyẹn, cos some of us here used to say they don't have time for this and that when they get to varsity.
But let me ask, since you have been writing, what has been your challenge so far, sir?

G: That's not totally false. It's very hard to combine the rigours of a Nigerian Varsity with reading. It's very tasking. If it's really tasking like that, why are you still successful?  There's been so much challenges to be truthful. To get acceptance, finding your voice, buying good books which are ridiculously expensive - I do not find it really easy to read from my mobile phone and so forth
I cannot say I am successful at this point. I am still in my formative and early years. I have a very long way to go & sometimes, I feel like I haven't earned the right to call myself a writer.

H: By  the way, I heard there are lots of distractions in the school; Which one of them is girls... Are they right?

G: Eheh, fam (sic). There are girls. Plenty girls. There are so many girls with different motives and attitude to your friendship. I think how you perceive and define your interaction paints everything else.

H: All the same, I heard when you are intelligent and smart, if you don't chase them, they will chase you.
Abeg make ị ask how are you able to dial across this...Cos me eehn if I see fine girls like this one anything I want to write will just evaporate(pardon my manners).
How do you cope with  them and still maintain your writing adventure and other vital things you've got to do as a responsible guy?

G: Lol. You're quite funny. I think I like you.

I am not comfortable writing in open spaces. I write basically when no one is near me actively. And you know, getting distracted depends on attraction too.

H: I am really leaning eehn...
NOW I have learnt its not good to write in public where there is distraction so that I can concentrate on the message my muse is passing across... Just that some times, things goes ironical.

G: It is not easy to bring all of these things into one fold and make them work. This also depends on your determination and focus. It can get really messy sometimes.

H: Lest I forget, have you ever felt intimated, ridiculed, embarrassed or had another thought for once in this writing adventure? Ooh!  another vital point...My focus and determination matters too, I dey lean well well nìyẹn.

G: Oh. It doesn't work that way for everyone although. I have writer friends who prefer to write publicly or where there's a buzzing traffic. Depends on your kind of person and the system that works best for you.

H: Ooh, personality even matters too, torh una don hear am bẹ that, don't force yourself to write where that's not convinient for cos judaisky or oga Salako said this or that ooo (pardon my manners)

G: Errrrehmmm. I cannot recollect anytime I've been majorly embarrassed in the writing context except for once when there was a milling rumour about me. And that's it.

H: What do you hate about this writing of a thing or is it everything you like?

G: We cannot like the entirety of a thing. Even happiness.
I am very harsh on myself while accessing the quality of my effort. Most times I just fall sad about a specific work which some other fellow might commend.
I sick very much on rejection too. I am highly susceptible to things.

H: So you hate rejection, well I am sorry for you óò cos when critics descend on your work, I wonder what you will do
That apart.. So after this feelings (rejection) what now follows.. Do you walk away or cry cos you and your works are rejected?

G: I do not cry. But I can be very moody at times. And it might take me days to come out of my shell. No. That was largely on a jocular note. It's just best to accept the feasible corrections and get better.

H: But wait óò, since you have been in the field, is there anything you can show forth as an encouragement to anyone that wants to learn how to write... Maybe a feat, a published book or life performance?

G: Since I've been here I have authored a photobook (self-published), Broken things (wrr) per Green author prize and I have a poetry  manuscript titled 'sad Mothers Are allamanda petals' with Dwarts which is set for publication later in the year.
Encouragement mostly come from the strength within and self will. The other forms are secondary. I've been privileged to meet people who encouraged me and helped me grow.
I will be helpful in such ranks too hopefully when I get to those height.

H: Wow! this is beautiful... Anyone that wants to stop me from writing must catch fire in Jesus name ooo
So finally finally, what can you tell US that you're still learning how to write  or even want to join the folk?

G: I will again reiterate that I am equally in the learning curve. It is not a very easy place to navigate but every willing person can map through.
It is very hard to be a writer in a society such as ours reason being  that we are under appreciated.
The sky is big enough to accommodate all.

H: The only thing I hear here is
THE SKY IS BIG ENOUGH TO ACCOMMODATE US. The rest na grammar. Lol.
Our time is almost up, but I still have other things I would want you to clarify to us... Hopefully, just hopefully, I believe we will still Have you on the air again to saturate our hearts and minds

G: Thank you very much everyone. I am grateful to my friend, Joseph for inviting me here, the interviewer who kept cracking me up and everyone in the audience.

The END.

ABOUT THE GUEST

Olúwapèlúmi Francis Sàlàkó is a poet and essayist. His writings aim to interrogate the place of memory, loss & love, society & stereotypes, culture, history, time and space. His writings has appeared or are forthcoming in Dwarts, Tuckmagazine, Prachya review, the rising phoenix review, elsewhere.

He is a Commonwealth youth correspondent and likewise the curator of wakaabout, a street photography project dedicated to the daily existence of the common people. He is a recipient of the 2017 Green author prize.

He studies History and international studies at the University of Ilorin, Ilorin.