Young Nigerian Poets should be focused and not afraid of telling the truth through their works – Yusuff Opeere

YOUNG NIGERIAN POETS SHOULD BE FOCUSED AND NOT AFRAID OF TELLING THE TRUTH THROUGH THEIR WORKS – YUSUFF OPEERE

 

Yusuff Opeere ( Adekunle Yusuff Adeyemi Opeere) is a poet and currently a student studying Statistics in Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Moor Plantation Ibadan. In this interview with Wole Adedoyin, Yusuff Opeere who is also a member of the Society of Young Nigerian Writers (SYNW), shared with us his literary life and other facts surrounding his writing career.

SYNW: WHY ARE YOU A POET?

YO: I'll be jiggered! This is the first time I would came across this question. Why are you a poet? I won't speak with a forked tongue.  Yes. I'm a poet for reasons; one, I have a lot of messages to deliver to the people. Two, it is a simple way of expressing my feelings and thoughts. 

 SYNW: WHAT POETS DO YOU ADMIRE?

YO: Shams Al-Din Hafiz, Rudyard Kipling

SYNW: WHAT INSPIRES YOU?

YO:  If by Rudyard Kipling, and e-pals' poems

SYNW: TELL US ABOUT A NORMAL WORKING DAY…

YO: I'm a farmer, photographer, teacher (I teach during the weekend), but I write most of time when I have a period of inactivity because I'm still a student. 

SYNW: HOW DO YOU WRITE?

YO: I like staying in a place that is far from madding crowd during the day to write. And I always make my poems rhyme. It gives me more strength and love to write more when it's in that pattern.

SYNW: WHAT’S YOUR THOUGHT PROCESS BEHIND A POEM?

YO: I will answer this question straight from the shoulder, my thought is to make people know that poetry is the simplest way to pass message to the world in a simple form. And I'm determined to shape it better than as it is today by organizing a competition among secondary school students in my community

SYNW: DESCRIBE YOUR ROUTE TO BEING PUBLISHED…

YO: I'm desperately struggling to get my works published but, you know, when Allah has not say YES, who can say that? I'm sure sooner than later my efforts will be crowned. And my works will have legs.

SYNW: WHAT’S YOUR ADVICE TO AN ASPIRING POET?

YO: To all aspiring poets, my advice for them is to be more focus, determined, lionized but do not heaping scorns on their elders and betters. They should not be afraid of telling the truth nor potty-mouthed.

SYNW: WHAT (IF ANY) SORTS OF EDITORIAL CHANGES DID THE MANUSCRIPT GO THROUGH? DID YOU WORK THROUGH THESE WITH YOUR AGENT AND/OR EDITORS WITHIN THE PUBLISHING HOUSE?

YO: There is a work I worked on- *Won't love again* - my editor is delaying it because it contains 20% error. It's been a year now I've sent it to him.

SYNW: FINAL QUESTION (PROMISE!): DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR THE YET-TO-BE-PUBLISHED WRITERS READING THIS?

YO: Yes. As one of them because I've not published any work except on my facebook wall. My advice is to put more efforts and make sure they have mentor.

SYNW: TALK TO US ABOUT YOUR WRITING ROUTINE; WHAT’S A TYPICAL WRITING DAY FOR YOU?

YO: Before or at the crack of dawn -- 4:00am -- that is most silent time for me that inspiration will come. And in the dead of the night, starting from 11pm. I normally do research on what I want to write on before my pen will start answering the call of paper. So I won't make much mistakes and it will make it easier. 

SYNW: ON THIS TOPIC, WHAT ARE YOU DOING THE BUILD A PLATFORM AND GAIN READERSHIP?

YO: I don't have website but I am using facebook and WhatsApp as platform to gain readership

SYNW: WEBSITE(S)?

YO: No website. 

SYNW: FAVORITE MOVIE?

YO: I'm not a cinephile. So I don't have favourite movie.

SYNW: BEST PIECE(S) OF WRITING ADVICE WE HAVEN’T DISCUSSED?

YO: Er, if you're strictly struggling to be a published author but you always have distraction. My advice is to part company with such an emotionally disturbed thing and restart the trip again.  Because writing is a trip of no destination that has destination that we don't know how long it is until we reached a point. 

SYNW: SOMETHING PERSONAL ABOUT YOU PEOPLE MAY BE SURPRISED TO KNOW?

YO: I'm an irascible writer; reclusive poet. I wish to study law but I found myself studying Statistics

SYNW: WHAT’S NEXT?

YO: I'm desperately working to have two of my works published