So what happens when you have a childhood spanning three continents, starting school in Nigeria, continuing in the UK and finishing in Japan? Well, you pursue an equally international career and continue navigating life through seeing things with your own eyes, living the mantra:
- Àwòrán kan sàn jù ọrọ ẹgbẹ̀rún lọ
- A picture is worth a thousand words
- 百聞は一見にしかず
And what is it I saw visiting numerous countries throughout our amazing world? Well, there are many places with several interesting and wonderful aspects distinguishing them from anywhere else. By expanding our horizons, we can appreciate the world for its diversity. In discovering the various distinctions, I certainly found great pleasure! However, when we look deeper into other cultures, we can recognise even more aspects that are similar to our own. By enjoying these diasporic stories, I also hope you will see that we do not have to just concentrate on our differences. We all have more in common than initially meets the eye, more similarities than differences, and this makes us part of one human community.
Abíọ́dún ‘Abbey’ Ọlátòkunbọ̀ Abdul | SFHEA
Abíọ́dún (pronounced A-byaw-doon) is Yorùbá-Nigerian writer and UNESCO Global Poetry Slam Champion 2022. Her expressive writing includes life essays and diasporic travel stories posted on Yorùbá Yonder, through which she additionally conceived the decolonising/internationalising YNAD Talks event series. She is penning a 3-part autoethnographical memoir-polemic series encompassing her schooling across Yorùbá-Nigeria, Scots-Britain and Japan (achieved through a Japanese Government scholarship) with nuanced views on identity, ideology, social framework and prejudice - Stained Glass Eyes: Race, Family and Multiculturalism. Book 1 is nearing publication and Book 2 is part of her PhD research funded by a Faculty of Arts scholarship. She also writes short stories centring Yorùbá culture as well as poetry on social justice and topics celebrating our common humanity. Her work has been published in anthologies; she writes/podcasts for literary magazines, performs at literary festivals/events, delivers writing workshops; and presents at academic conferences. As an innovator in the creative writing field seeking to support greater inclusion of diverse creatives, she also founded the Global Majority Writers (GMW) collective which has grown to over 250 members worldwide.
More about the UNESCO Global Poetry Slam here
**Latest stories**
Summary:
The mask, a fence, a gatekeeper,
protection, deflection, yet visual invitation
I see you, you see me
Through a mesh, through a lens
Dark eyes, full of light
Dark nose, inhaling light air
Dark mouth, rounded contours
closed but poised for action:
sonic, verbal, culinary, breath
Facial shield sieves youthful repose,
hearing quietly, seeing intently
Virgin knowledge steadily forming,
forging wisdom’s foundations
Summary:
Extending String Quartets: Future Echoes / Educating Black Nottingham / Afrofuturism Short Stories / Other Tongue, Mother Tongue 2025 / African Migration Report 2024: Japa Fire / Other Tongue, Mother Tongue 2024 / Multivox / Notes To Self / Our Stories Redefined 2023: Strange Water / Oluwale Now 2023 / Writers Space Africa July 2023: Robots / Weighted Words / Loose Connections / Squat Diddley /
After winning various poetry awards throughout childhood, I still enjoy composing poems, stories and life writing pieces focusing as ever on social justice and topics celebrating our common humanity. These have been included in various anthologies and resulted in specially commissioned pieces.
**Upcoming Events**
Summary:
*Black Girlhood in Europe Symposium 2026, University of East London
*Writing on Air 2026, Chapel FM Spring Writing & Spoken Word Festival
*From Here To There - African and African Diasporic Poetry I, Forced Migration and the Arts
*Writing on Air 2026, Chapel FM Spring Writing & Spoken Word Festival
Writing On Air, now in its 10th year, is a festival of words and ideas broadcast on East Leeds Community Radio from Chapel FM Arts Centre. This year’s theme is on Thresholds:
- Entry and exit points, moments of transition, transformation.
- The point at which change starts to occur.
- Doors, portals, liminal spaces in-between.
- Gatekeepers.
- Membranes.
- Passing places.
Poets in The Other Side of Hope literary magazine’s 2025 multilingual anthology will read their work in the ‘Other Tongue, Mother Tongue’ event of the same name.
My selected poems explore the idea of threshold as home, a space of belonging and familiarity…and that includes familial words through speaking the same language…even when others don’t realise that’s the case!
Poem 1: Èrò Ọkọ̀ Àṣìrí - Secret Passenger = eavesdropping whilst bilingual
My next poem then explores the unexpected side-effects of being away from home too long
Poem 2: Ojú Ère - Statuesque = Afrocentric art subjects
Tune in to enjoy this free 2-part event on these dates:
Fri 27th Feb = 5pm, Other Tongue, Mother Tongue (part 1)
Sat 28th Feb = 2:15pm, Other Tongue, Mother Tongue (part 2)
.
From Here To There - African and African Diasporic Poetry I is a free online event on Saturday 21st February, 6-7:30pm GMT. Co-organised by Moira Di Mauro-Jackson, Texas, USA, and the Africa Migration Report Poetry Anthology Series, the indaba will feature poets who include Abíọ́dún Abdul, Joan Green, Rene’ Level, and Zamokuhle Madinana. I will be reading my poems published in the Japa Fire anthology :
- Èrò Ọkọ̀ Àṣìrí - Secret Passenger (eavesdropping whilst bilingual), and
- Ojú Ère - Statuesque (Afrocentric art subjects).
After the readings, the poets will discuss their work and take part in a Q&A session. The conversation, focusing on African and African diasporic migration and immobility, takes place as part of a series of events to mark 100 years of Black History commemorations in the African diaspora where Black History Month is celebrated in February in the US and in October in the UK.
Book your place here to experience this fulfilling evening of insightful word weaving and discussion.
Attendance and participation are free and open to all.
Summary:
‘From Africa to Europe to Asia in One Childhood: Unravelling Complex Narratives through Autoethnography’ paper presentation (pending)
School of English PGR Symposium 2026, University of Nottingham, UK
‘Dismissed with Prejudice: Racial Narratives from Low-Diversity Regions’ paper presentation (pending)
British Sociological Association (BSA) Race & Ethnicity Seminar Series 2026, Liverpool John Moores University, UK
University of Nottingham, Trent Building, Senate Chamber (9:30am-4pm)
My upcoming presentation ‘From Africa to Europe to Asia in One Childhood: Unravelling Complex Narratives through Hybrid Life Writing & Autoethnography’ will be delivered at the University of Nottingham during the School of English PGR Symposium in January 2026.
This interdisciplinary, phenomenological research project looks at how racism affects isolated Black lives in low diversity regions. Through hybrid life writing, the research focuses on my unique experiences as a Yorùbá-Nigerian secondary school student in Scots-Britain and then Japan, mixing culture-hopping narratives with factual insights into sociology, psychology, anthropology, linguistics, history and more to give essential context to this complex life journey. The main methodology is therefore autoethnography, aiding comprehension of wider cultural experience than fact and reportage allow, and successfully applied in bestselling books such as:
- Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge
- Brit(ish): Race, Identity and Belonging by journalist/lawyer Afua Hirsch
- Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire by rapper/social commentator Akala
However, autoethnography as a hybrid creative/academic methodology is often met with pushback with ethnographers and/or sociologists claiming it’s ‘too artful’, criticising the potential bias of personal experiences as a sole data source. Similarly, creative writers claim autoethnography is ‘too scientific’, criticising academic features including data storytelling visuals/diagrams for jolting the reader ‘out of the narrative’. Therefore, why do reading focus groups contradict both streams of criticism by consistently giving positive feedback on this niche storytelling delivery? This research project consequently also explores the opportunities and limits of the principal autoethnography genre, increasingly described as ‘memoir-polemics’ in the 21st century, and the effectiveness of hybrid life writing for race-related content when hopping from Africa to Europe to Asia in one childhood.
Summary:
*YNAD 4f - African Women Writers: Decolonising English for Decolonised Narratives, UoN
*YNAD 8b - Nigerian Clothes & Yoruba Threads: Textiles & Fabric Fashionistas!, Lancaster University
Lancaster University - Black History Month (BHM) 2025 | NTU - International Women’s Day (IWD) 2025
This Nigerian Clothes celebration and Yorùbá Textiles exploration is the eighth of award-winning Yorùbá-Nigerian writer, poet and lecturer Abíọ́dún Ọlátòkunbọ̀ Abdul’s event series focusing on cultural and social themes related to Yorùbá/Nigeria/Africa/Diaspora: YNAD Talks.
First immerse yourself in an interactive learning session where we’ll explore Nigeria’s multicultural tapestry and the wide-ranging clothing styles adored by different ethnicities. Unravel your curiosity as we then gain insights into different Yorùbá textiles like aṣọ òkè or àdìrẹ and varying strands of their patterns & designs. Next, we’ll discuss why some workplaces remain mentally colonised, favouring Western wardrobes over our professional indigenous attire before basking in Nàìjá clothes pride ranging from Nollywood celebrities to high-profile diplomats and beyond.
Then it’s time to get creative, appreciating Nigerian/Yorùbá fashions & fabrics in paintings, posters and more before delving into poetry and compositions celebrating our unique designs! With this inspirational material, let your inner artist come forth to create your own visuals and poetry weaving in descriptions, impressions & viewpoints on Nàìjá wears. In sharing your work afterwards, you’ll enlighten and inspire others to embrace colourful clothes, fab fabrics and timeless textiles all day, every day!
Yes, whilst possibly winning delectable Nigerian snacks and enjoying uplifting Nigerian music, come celebrate with us in this YNAD Talk ‘Nigerian Clothes & Yorùbá Threads: Textiles & Fabric Fashionistas!’ on Wednesday 26th November, 5-7pm at Lancaster University, LICA Event Space A29.
Decolonise/Internationalise the pen on the road from English Literature to World Literature using more of your mother tongue; in my case Yorùbá. Explore the array of free resources available to take your Yorùbá language skills to the next level!
There’s something for every age group and ability level. Some of my favourites are:
…check out the full list here
GMW is an initiative born out of my frustration of stumbling upon various opportunities for writers of colour in a range of genres I rarely write in. Just because such opportunities didn’t apply to me didn’t mean they couldn’t benefit other writers of colour I’d met in different forums. GMW was therefore how I collated my scattered women writer/artist friends of colour from across the UK and beyond to ‘share the love’ as it were! Since December 2022, our collective has organically grown beyond its initial purpose into a friendship space for GMW women to:
- support/celebrate each other’s writing/arts-related projects
- share various writing/arts-related events and opportunities
- coordinate meetups during literary/art events
From 40 of my initial writer/artist buddies, we are now over 250 members strong and growing worldwide through constant referrals to other writers/artists wanting to benefit from the GMW community.
Members Testimonials
“It is a superhighway of hot off the press writing events, commissions and so much more” Jackee Holder
“This is an amazing group. I feel honoured to be part of GMW.” Nelissa Mendy
“I have always desired to be amongst likeminded creatives. I am delighted to be here, a virtual home, and look forward to seeing your faces in person.” Ọmọ́bọ́lá Osamor
“Well done and thank you Abbey, for the wonderful work you are putting into this this group. There’s so much information on grants and events that I would not know where to look for them if I had to.” Juliana Ojinnaka.
From poets to novelists; crime writers to romance writers; AfricanFuturists to AfroFuturists; fantasists to journalists, memoirists to autoethnographers; playwrights to filmmakers; actresses to academics; novices and scholars; you name it, we have them! All genres and related initiatives are welcome.
For more details, send a message through the Yorùbá Yonder contact page
Check out my other related sites:
*What Colour Are Your Senses: educational project promoting intercultural intelligence in Japan (...through the Notting Hill Carnival!)
*What Colour Are Your Senses: educational project promoting intercultural intelligence in Japan (...through the Notting Hill Carnival!)
*Global Roots - British Shores: youth group workshops on the importance of exposing and challenging racism through writing, arts and media
*The Scottish Racism Project: research articles focusing on race relations in Scotland.
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