Portrait of A Storyteller

Yinka Olatunbosun

“Stories help me better understand the world,” Temitayo Olofinlua said when asked why she writes stories. “By world, I do not mean just this present world or reality, but the many worlds in between: the seen and the unseen, the past and the future. I believe that words can help us frame the vast possibilities of our world.” 

It was the power of unlocking this vast world of possibilities that gave her the mastery of words, securing several jobs. In 2008, armed with a degree in Literature in English from Obafemi Awolowo University, Olofinlua’s career started as an editorial assistant at Kachifo Limited. 

That the publishing house provided her with the skills in publishing that is hard to get at a Nigerian university.  Exposed to global literature, she walked her way through the slush pile for the now defunct Farafina Magazine. 

Since those days as a newbie in a publishing house, she has worked with leading media houses as a freelance writer and editor. Her writing was featured in magazines including True Love West Africa Magazine, Next Newspapers, Mania Magazine, to mention a few. However, Temitayo seems quite interested in the futuristic world—crafting stories happening in a future time and imagining characters encountering new technology. She was part of the African Futures Festival, a continental literary festival organised by Goethe Institut, during which her story on futuristic Computer Village was illustrated and displayed. Capturing this advanced tech city in the thick of local elections there speaks to how ethnicity and politics would be interwoven in the future. To truly establish the future, she also pays homage to the past—a saner computer village before it exploded. 

“Long before computers were sold here, long before this area became known as Computer City there were some shops on this street that sold medical supplies to the many hospitals around the area,” she writes of Medical Road, Computer Village as she stresses the importance of continuity between the past, present and future. This same strain was seen in her short story ‘Metal Feet’ set in a futuristic Lagos, and published in Italian as part of Futuri Uniti d’Africa, the first African anthology of Science Fiction from the continent in the language. 

“Having my story in another language was a significant boost for my career because it meant that my words now find expression in another world. I am really interested in dreaming upon the future for us all. And this continues to find expression through my words.” 

This writing craft has not only made a career for her but has also taken her across the world and won her writing awards. Some of her awards include the Paula Chinwe Okafor Prize (2019), the Peter Drucker Challenge (2014&2012), the NEPAD Essay Competition (2015) and the Heinrich Boll Unity in Diversity Writing Contest.  

When she is not working on her own stories, she is providing editorial services to writers as she helps them birth their own works. In the course of her career, she has worked with many leading award-winning writers on the continent including Jumoke Verissimo’s A Small Silence which made the shortlist for the 2020 RSL Ondaatje Prize; and Ndidi Chiazor-Enenmor’s A Hero’s Welcome on the 2019 NLNG Prize for Nigerian Literature shortlist.

Olofinlua says that all the knowledge of writing and publishing that she has she got from other people, so these days, when she is not writing or editing, she is busy impacting writers with skills that can improve their storytelling. In May 2022, she organised a workshop during which she shared her knowledge with writers. 

“I understood the importance of voice to storytelling. Indeed, even though reading exposes a writer to a variety of styles, it is important for the writer to continue to work on bringing the uniqueness of their own experiences to their stories,” says Ummu, one of the workshop participants. 

When asked what the future holds for her, Olofinlua paused, then spoke. “I am not done. I am working on a manuscript, finally.” She sighed. “I really still want to work with words, by writing, editing and supporting younger writers.”