I AM OPEN TO CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM - FADAIRO TESLEEM

Fadairo Tesleem is one of the three writers Osogbo Book Club will be hosting on Saturday. Fadairo Tesleem is a Poet, Critic and an Admin of a popular poetry group on Whatsapp. In this interview with Wole Adedoyin, he talks about his passion and love for writing
WA: WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START WRITING?
FT: It's my passion for art, I love creativity.
WA: HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WRITING?
FT: Up to six years now, I started not long (smiles) those poems weren't poems though, as per standard.
WA: WHEN DID YOU START WRITING?
FT: I figured out the talent while I was still in secondary school (laughs). I did help friends wrote love letters to their girlfriends. Hilarious! But that was how we started.
WA: HAVE YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A WRITER?
FT: I would say YES to this in capital, it's been my aspiration right from mum's womb.
WA: WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE A NEW WRITER, SOMEONE JUST STARTING OUT?
FT: With good faith, accept criticism, be ready to learn whatever, wherever and from whomever and adapt the culture of reading, only readers, vivid readers would become writers, it's a gradual process.
WA: HOW DO YOU HANDLE WRITER’S BLOCK?
FT: It's kind of sacrificial, you don't force muse.
FT: As for me, I do take the vacation as long as it demands.
WA: HOW MANY BOOKS HAVE YOU WRITTEN?
FT: Still working on my first poetry collection, bet it will be worth reading. I should be done with it before this year elapses
WA: WHAT IS THE MOST SURPRISING THING YOU DISCOVERED WHILE WRITING YOUR BOOK(S)?
FT: How words fall in line, I'd written tons of poems and start wondering if I were the owner of the work, it surprises me; how I'd read my poems and still admire it, what a feeling !
WA: WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE CHARACTER?
FT: Moremi: the heroine of Ile Ife.
WA: DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE CHARACTER THAT YOU HAVE WRITTEN? IF SO, WHO? AND WHAT MAKES THEM SO SPECIAL.
FT: Yes ! Moremi is the woman, "Moremi Ajasoro" After I've read series of epics written by Nigerian poets in honour of this great woman, I felt I owe her one too, she librated her people from the wild hands of the Ugbo, how she willed herself to the dreadful Ugbo troops, how she sacrificed her only son "Ela Oluorogbo" to the traditional river "Esuminrin"...I fell in love with her roles, I must confess and she worths the works that were written in honour of her.
WA: WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR INSPIRATION?
FT: Everywhere, Anywhere, I got inspired most when I'm in trauma state, the best of my poems were written while I was traumatic and that's the truth.
WA: WHERE CAN READERS PURCHASE YOUR BOOKS?
FT: None yet, I just started submitting my works to online literary journals & magazines, I have over 30 submissions awaiting acceptances and rejections.
WA: WHERE CAN READERS FIND OUT MORE ABOUT YOU AND YOUR BOOKS?
FT: They can always reach me through my social media handles( Tasleem Abu Haneefa)mostly available on Facebook.
WA: WHICH OF YOUR BOOKS WERE THE MOST ENJOYABLE TO WRITE?
FT: My first poetry collection, still on it but it's a whole kind of stress free
WA: TELL US ABOUT YOUR FIRST PUBLISHED BOOK?
FT: Said it earlier: still on it, and we're almost there.
WA: WHAT WAS THE JOURNEY LIKE?
FT: It's been not very easy, I don’t want to use hard.
WA: WHAT, IN YOUR OPINION, ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENTS OF GOOD WRITING?
FT: Persistence, it's very dangerous to stop, you mustn't stop, as much as you keep doing a thing and you never stop, then you'll get there, Appreciation of criticism allow critics devour your works, let them make you. I am open to constructive criticism.
WA: WHO'S YOUR FAVORITE AUTHOR OF ALL TIME?
FT: Chimamanda Adichie, the woman is way far beyond good
WA: YOUR FAVORITE BOOK BY HIM?
FT: "Notes On Grief"
WA: ON YOUR LATEST POEM, CAN YOU SHARE WITH US SOMETHING ABOUT THE POEM.
FT: My latest poem: "I smell war" was written in remembrance of those that passed out at the Lekki tollgate massacre, during the SORO SOKE revolution. It's a dirge!
WA: ARE THERE ANY SECRETS FROM THE POEM, YOU CAN SHARE WITH YOUR READERS?
FT: No! There's no secret
WA: WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION FOR THE STORY?
FT: The mass killing that happened at Lekki tollgate during the 'END SARS' campaign
WA: WHAT GENRES DO YOU LOVE?
FT: Poetry
WA: ARE THERE ANY GENRES YOU DISLIKE?
FT: Yes ! Prose
WA: WHAT AUTHOR (WHO IS STILL LIVING) WOULD YOU DEARLY LOVE TO MEET?
FT: Prof. Wole Soyinka.
WA: DO YOU LIKE TO DISPLAY YOUR BOOKS ON A BOOKSHELF OR KEEP THEM IN A VIRTUAL LIBRARY?
FT: Virtual library, I love hidden potentials, I love performing and people would be like "wow! You wrote this?!" "I ne'er knew you're this endowed" I've heard those words from my relatives and friends that don't know what I do.
WA: DO YOU PREFER FLASH FICTION, SHORT STORIES, NOVELLAS, OR NOVELS?
FT: Short stories
WA: WHAT BOOK CAN YOU RECOMMEND TO ME?
FT: "Notes on grief" by Chimamanda Adichie
WA: WHEN DID YOU LAST VISIT A LIBRARY?
FT: When I'm home, it's something I do almost every day, my Dad owns one.
WA: HAVE YOU EVER HAD A CRUSH ON A BOOK CHARACTER?
FT: Yes ! "Paulina" in the Wages of Sin
WA: HAS A BOOK EVER MADE YOU LAUGH OUT LOUD?
FT: Trials of brother Jero by proffesor Wole Soyinka.
It's nice having you around, thanks !