I am a jumper, a close-your-eyes-and-throw-yourself-in-way. I am not a runner or a sprinter. I am an imagine-the-furies-are-right-on-your-heels-and-jump-kind-of-person.
They say if you can’t fly, walk; if you can’t walk, crawl. Just keep moving. In that saying, there is no space for jumpers like me who, one morning, on the verge of running an errand, sat down, and created a literary website. ArtisansQuill was dropped, a bird’s child, to the prompt: “Fly or crash. I really pray you fly though. You have to fly!” I simply threw it off the ledge, having babied it for so long, tinkering and polishing. But clearly, the writing community was ready. ArtisansQuill landed, a royal carriage in wait. It received a glorious welcome, and eager hands stretched out to help its new wheels receive all the oil it needs.
Then, like all jumpers, memories of the wind blowing in my ears, I issued a call for Issue 2, Old Forms, New Worlds. I was about to bail, leaving you all holding the baby. Then, the contributions began to come in. These contributions, as you will see, are beautiful and sacred. You can tell they come from those hallowed chambers of the psyche where ancestors and ancestresses whisper to the contemporary mind. I realized that it was a privilege to have been assigned as trustee of these words and worlds. It is an honour to have ArtisansQuill serve as a vault for them. It is a ball I cannot drop.
I came in eyes shut, landing on both feet, not knowing what would follow. I have stumbled on a world. It is a beautiful place. I invite you along. Crawl, walk, run, fly. Just come on in and see.
– Funmi Gaji
Founder & Editor, ArtisansQuill
Editorial Overview
Something about the oral form is at the core of it, constantly unfurling—a highly mutable, yet rocky thing. This thing stirs the heart. You feel it like a melting inside, like your heart being broken in a way you like. It is in the crooning of birds, the near-imperceptible drop in the voice of a conjuror-singer felt as a thud in your insides.
It is in the way the voice tilts like it is about to spill all of the world’s secrets as The Righteous Brothers caress the split between hun– and –gered. It is the magic in The Beatles’ Let It Be. It is the heart of music, the magic of drum, the beauty of the strings of the violin, in the shut eyes of a listener enraptured by music. Great movies and ads get it sometimes in peak cinematic moments that have you bawling your eyes out, a mixture of feelings wrapping their hands around your insides where nothing else can touch. It is a spirit that often proves elusive when the oral is reduced to the written. It is the joy of orality.
Now, this is not to say the written does not have its own magic. The magic of the written is in a different type of boundlessness that makes diehard fans of a book swear that the movies mangled it. They are two different types of magic.
In this issue, Old Forms, New Worlds, the contributors have attempted the feat of capturing the magic of old forms through unabashed didactism, social commentary, lively cadences, and a folkloric manner of thinking. In sum, they have fashioned marriages of all sorts between the old way of seeing and the new things to see.
Voices in This Issue
Nimi Wariboko is a public intellectual, the Walter G. Muelder Professor of Social Ethics, and the Director of the African Studies Center at Boston University, United States. He is the author of two poetry collections—Kálábárí Témétéín Ékwen (in Kalabari-Ijo language) and Antennae—as well as a critical work on the philosophy of literature in Nigeria, Social Ethics and Governance in Contemporary African Writing: Literature, Philosophy, and the Nigerian World. Wariboko is a writer of profound knowledge, a poet of emotional depth, and a master of lyrical, accessible, and spare lines. A trans-stylistic poet, he delights in blending, improvising, transforming, and generating prosodic sensibilities, aesthetic consciousness, and literary styles to articulate the creative possibilities of humanity in our times.
Halima Ahmad Matazu is a dedicated educator with a Master’s degree in Hausa Literature. Currently, she serves as a lecturer with the National Open University of Nigeria, where she specializes in online teaching for Hausa literature and cultural studies programmes. Beyond the classroom, she is a bilingual writer and the author of the Hausa novel, Amon ‘Yanci. Her works have been featured in various publications and anthologies. She has also served as a judge for literary competitions, facilitated numerous workshops for creative writers, and participated in panel discourses for women at the Hausa International Books and Arts Festival (HIBAF).
Alfred Olaiya is a young poet and spoken word artist. He’s in love with colours, emotional spirituality, and the realms beyond. He was the second runner-up at the 2022 Spring Poetry Contest, was shortlisted in the 2025 Bridgette James Poetry Contest, and was a finalist at the 2025 Custodian of African Literature (COAL) Poetry Contest. His works have appeared in Best New African Poets (BNAP) 2021 Anthology, Poetry Archive, The April Centaur, Decades of Nine Hills and Thrills anthology, Libretto Magazine, Soil Unfurling from Stem Anthology, and elsewhere.
Adeniran Abdbasit Adeyemi is a poet, Yorùbá bullroar, PR writer, teacher, trained journalist, language transcriber, video editor, painter, and literary enthusiast. He enjoys volunteering for non-governmental organisations and is known for his thought-provoking and emotionally resonant poetry which explores themes of love, life, nature, and social issues. Adeyemi’s writing style is characterized by its depth, imagery, and lyricism. His works have recently appeared or are forthcoming in Brittle Paper, ArtisansQuill, Caucasus Journal of Milton Studies, CÓN-SÌÒ Poetry Magazine, and the Brigitte Poirson Poetry Contest 2022.
He is also a strong advocate for literature and the arts and is actively involved in promoting literary culture and supporting emerging writers. Adeyemi is a fellow of the Ebedi International Writers Residency 2024.
He is @AbdbasitAdeyemi on X, and Adeniran Abdbasit Adeyemi on Instagram, Facebook, and Substack.
Eniola Grace Ayomide is a student of English and Literary Studies at Federal University Oye-Ekiti. As a growing creative writer, she is dedicated to honing her craft and sharing her journey through poems and reflective essays. Her writings reflect simplicity and relatable narratives. She has produced a few poems and essays that mark her steady growth. Passionate about both writing and public speaking, she continues to develop her voice, which inspires her participation in this competition.
Innocent Tarojacho Ojo is a budding Nigerian poet, spoken word artist, and social entrepreneur. His works and other initiatives encourage personal development as a means to flatten the rising societal problems in Nigeria.
He hails from Nasarawa and lives in Akwanga town. He loves watching biopics, taking evening walks, and finds conversations very exciting—especially with bright minds.
Daniel Singfuri Yohanna is a poet and classroom teacher. He is a Fellow of the Ebedi International Writers Residency, Iseyin, and the Secretary of ANA Borno State Chapter. He emerged as a Northeast Zonal winner and a finalist of the TY Buratai Literary Initiative 2024. He is the author of Heaven’s Gate and Other Poems and The Trumpet. His works have appeared in magazines including Parousia Magazine, the Fifth Chinua Achebe Poetry/Essay Anthology, The Markas (an anthology of literary works on Boko Haram), and others. He is a postgraduate student at the University of Maiduguri and writes from Borno State.
Emmanuel Olabiyi is a budding African poet. He studies English Language and Literature at the University of Ibadan. His works have appeared or are forthcoming in Lolwe, Ikike Arts, The Weganda Review, Herlore, Naira Stories, Shallow Tales, and Isele Magazine. He loves all art.
Akinola Sesan is a Nigerian poet, playwright, and mental health advocate. His works often explore themes of identity, relationships, and contemporary social issues in thought-provoking and engaging styles. His works have appeared in both local and international magazines and journals. He was recently one of the 64 poets selected from 24 countries of the world for a book publication, Love is a Divine Fragrance, published in India. He lives in Ibadan, Nigeria, with his wife, Tosin Sesan (née Ejitola).
Awodiya Funke is a Nigerian poet, researcher, and radio host of Poetic Vibes. Her work explores memory, identity, and social transformation, often weaving personal history with collective experience. She is currently pursuing a PhD in the Department of Sociology, Afe Babalola University.
Dayọ̀ Ayílárá is a Nigerian lawyer, business consultant, and multidimensional artist whose work spans cartooning, graphic design, and calligraphy. Deeply rooted in nature, tradition, and history, his artistic pursuits are guided by a profound connection to the divine—Elédùmarè. Professionally grounded in law, he explores the realms of poetry and art with a creative spirit. Based in Abuja, Nigeria, Dayọ̀ crafts his poetry from a place of introspection and imagination.
Valentine Chimenem Owhorodu lectures at Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Port Harcourt, where he teaches Use of English and Literary Appreciation. He holds a BA in English, an MA in Literature, a Diploma in Theology, a PGD in Education, and a PhD in Literature. A literary critic, his areas of interest include Niger Delta literature, eco-literature, war literature, and trauma studies. He is the author of Quiet Time Experience and Overcomers. Valentine is married to Flora O. Owhorodu, and they live with their lovely children, Ekwuoma and Igwugwukamma, in Port Harcourt.
Nket Godwin is a poet, essayist book, book reviewer. His work has appeared on Afrocritik, Eunoia, Harbor Review, African Writer, The Nigeria Review, Konya Shamsrumi, Lion and Lilac, Fortunate Traveller, Eboquill, and elsewhere. His work was longlisted for the Unserious Collective Fellowship, 2024. He writes from the city of Port Harcourt. He tweets @nketgodwin
Lovelin Kolawole is a poet whose works have appeared in Heron Clan Magazine (USA), Shattered the Windows, and the chapbook Scarlet. Author of over ten published poems, her voice finds its truest expression in poetry.
(Featured image credit: _ayonsan_)
ArtisansQuill| Celebrating Wordcraft 