An author interview with Tinu Bello. Read our review of Tinu’s book, Twirling in the Flames here.

LE: Hello Tinu, please introduce yourself.

Tinu: I’m Oluwatomisin Atinuke Bello; I’m mostly addressed as Tinu but some call me Tomisin. I was born in Lagos, Nigeria and grew up in Abuja. My family is from Ogun state. My first degree was in Biological Science and I balance my love for science with a passion for poetry which I use to spark personal and interpersonal dialogue about difficult subjects.

LE: Is writing your full time job?

Tinu: Writing is not my full time job; I’m currently pursuing a professional degree in medicine. And at the moment I’m based in Boston, US.

LE: When did you start writing and what prompted it?

Tinu: I began writing poetry – and not with any finesse – in JSS2 because it was a way to let off steam in a safe space. Poetry was my way of creating fantasy worlds in which life was perfect. For example, I created worlds in which all my crushes liked me back (LOL) so I didn’t have to deal with my reality of being rejected. I’ve kept on writing ever since, however, there have been changes in my reason for writing and in the content of my writing over time.

LE: Why poetry and do you write other genres?

Tinu: I like poetry because of the inbuilt meta-cognition that comes with writing it i.e. I get to think about my thoughts while devising ways to share them in a manner that others can understand. I have also dabbled into prose because its lack of metrical structure serves me well at times when I want to share my thoughts without the confines of a rhythm or pattern.

LE: What next after Twirling in the Flames?

Tinu: Given that I only just published Twirling in The Flames, I’m mostly focused on reflection and feedback at this point. In the long-run, I hope to follow up with a second collection.

LE: What are your hobbies?

Tinu: I love watching TV shows, especially political dramas. I also spend a lot of time reading fiction novels. I definitely do not write poetry to relax – I think my best work is borne of high stress (LOL)

Twirling in the Flames is Tinu’s first published book.

Tinu is on Twitter @smithiapoetry, Facebook Mika Smithia Poetry and Instagram mikasmithiapoetry. She also has a blog.

Our author of the week posts are usually curated. This is our first author interview as Tinu is the new kid on the block. It’s hopefully the first of many author interviews for Tinu as more people read and appreciate her work. The interview has been lightly edited for clarity.