FOR POETS EVERYTHING IS INSPIRATION - INTERVIEW WITH RAHAMAN ABIOLA TOHEEB

#YOUNG WRITERS’ INTERVIEW SERIES# - SYNW 002

INTERVIEW WITH RAHAMAN ABIOLA TOHEEB

Rahaman Abiola Toheeb is a poet, literary critic, a trained language analyst, editor, freelancer, socio-political commentator and blogger from Iseyin, Oyo State. Rahaman is a graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University.

SYNW - Why are you a poet?

RAT - The question why I’m a poet is what I sometimes find difficult to answer. Perhaps poetry chooses me, perhaps I choose to write poetry, sincerely I don’t know. However, one certain thing is that there is a surging wave of recurring feelings and stubborn emotions borne out of what I come across on daily basis from home to street, from street to international scene on TV. And the channel to bring those feelings to life is through only poetry. The heart of a poet is ocean of thoughts, while poetry itself is life, poetry is god. So, I can say poetry gives me life.

SYNW - What poets do you admire?

RAT - Being a poet is a great burden of consistent intellectual conviction. I know what it takes to write poems, that is why I respect and read every poet whose work comes my way. Besides that I’ll learn from him, I have exposure to new feeling -perhaps same as mine, or another entirely. But I must say that I love reading African poets, from Negritude to Euro-modernist, from Revolutionary generation (the angry poets) to the contemporary ones like Dami Ajayi, Gimba, Kakanda, David Isaya Osu, Wale Owoade, Jumoke Verissimo, Tosin Gbogi, Tade Ipadeola. I read Rasaq Malik a lot. His poetry is ubiquitous in terms of thematic direction. Facebook also introduces me to teeming legion of poets on daily basis. Recently I enjoy reading Warsan Sire, Tarfia Faizullah, Saed Jones, Sharon Olds, Laura, Kamiskin, Deborah Ranee, etc.

SYNW - What inspires you?

RAT - For poets everything is inspiration. What I see and hear is what I feel should not vanish into wind like that. My home, my mother, my society, the world and everything within are what keep me moving as a poet.

SYNW - Tell us about a normal working day…

RAT - I’m a freelancer. I write poetry. If I don’t do that I work as editor. I am a consistent facebooker and active online user. If I’m not online facebooking, downloading books, or searching for what to read, that means I am busy at my Primary Place of Assignment, Kano Municipal Secretariat.

SYNW - How do you write?

RAT - I write any time muse comes. It may be in a solitary room or on the street through my phone, my mobile writing device. But what defines how I write most is the kind of writing I’m engaged in. If I am working on essay or a political view I find it easy to write. If it’s poetry, some lines demand midnight silence, while some I’ll need to walk out alone pondering and come back home. Some need rough sketch on a sheet.

SYNW - What’s your thought process behind a poem?

RAT - Poetry, a specialized form of expression, starts the moment an idea strikes my heart. The next process is getting perfect words that convey my train of thought; words that speak out images in my heart most. These words are sometimes expensive and difficult to find. I think this is what makes poetry stand out of all genres of literature. Editing is the next process, as this gives poetry its befitting shape i.e. laconicism, artistic ingenuity, perfect rhythmicality and figurativeness.

SYNW - Describe your route to being published…

RAT - I am not yet published. I believe being published is a gradual process. As a poet the first thing is building your audience- people who your works appeal to. Make your craft convincing and fit for consumption by literary community of readers. Internet has been of help. These days one can easily send his poems to online literary magazine like Saraba, Kalahari Review, SentinelNg, Brave Art Africa, Expound and Praxis Magazine. National Dailies also publish both budding and established poets. Then one can go for full length publishing.

SYNW - What’s your advice to an aspiring poet?

RAT - The question any aspiring poet should ask himself is: do I really want to write? If he can answer that then consistency follows, for that makes him better and stronger. Writing may be frustrating at times, one just needs to move on and read. Similarly, monetary gain should not be number one priority. Any aspiring poet should ensure he establishes himself before any other thing.

SYNW - Final question (promise!): do you have any advice for the yet-to-be-published writers reading this?

RAT - They should continue reading, they should never relent. The country, though does not give total commitment and support to writing, ours is stars, with passion and patience.

SYNW - Talk to us about your writing routine; what’s a typical writing day for you?

RAT - My best time for writing is evening. This allows me talk aloud and to concentrate more, though the routine of my writing is usually defined by the work I have at hand, and the ideas that do not want me rest.
SYNW - Where do you write from?

RAT - I write from my home, sometimes from workplace.

SYNW - On this topic, what are you doing to build a platform and gain readership?

RAT - Internet. In this digital age the fast way to make a bride-gap between a writer and community of readers is internet and social platforms like facebook and twitter. When I write, I ensure I post it on facebook. I easily share the links of where my works appear with my online readers. Coupled with this is my blog. It has been of help, it gives me voice and online presence.

SYNW - Website(s)?

RAT - I don’t have a website yet, but I have a blog where some of my works- poem, stories, review, political views appear. It can be located through the url: http://rahamanabiola..com

SYNW - Favorite movie?

RAT - I love Bollywood movies, especially 3 Idiots and My Name is Khan.

SYNW - Best piece(s) of writing advice we haven’t discussed?

RAT - Poets should enter for available competition. This will make them know their strength and their weak points.

SYNW - Something personal about you people may be surprised to know?

RAT - I’m casually into nature and landscape photography. As a poet I hold the belief that there’s a dialectical affinity between poetry and photography- of messages in pictures that can only be interpreted by poetry alone.

SYNW - What’s next?

RAT - I have a project at hand. My first collection of poetry is also a priority.

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For poets everything is inspiration - Interview with Rahaman Abiola Toheeb