About theCollective
We are the architects of the “third space”—where Nigerian literary voices negotiate identity, resist canonical boundaries, and forge new pathways to global recognition.
What began as six writers collaborating on Memento: An Anthology of Contemporary Nigerian Poetry has evolved into something far more significant: a self-funded collective challenging the very foundations of how African literary talent is discovered, developed, and delivered to the world. We embody Chinua Achebe's conviction that writing carries “a moral obligation” to ensure “the African story is told from an African perspective—in full earshot of the world.”
“Our exemplary unseriousness was not failure but strategy.”
Our genesis reflects what Pierre Bourdieu identified as the “restricted field of production”—a space where genuine artistic innovation emerges precisely because it defines itself against commercial pressures and institutional gatekeeping. During National Poetry Month, when only O-Jeremiah Agbaakin and Nome Patrick completed our collective writing challenge while others pursued “serious” endeavors—Adebayo crafting sales copy for tech giants, Adedayo discovering love, Wale managing freelance obligations, Pamilerin balancing editorial work with daily survival, Michael completing his University of Benin degree—we stumbled upon something revolutionary.
As David Foster Wallace observed, the most profound work emerges from “emotion and spirituality that has to be earned through tremendous amounts of cognitive processing.” Our playful approach masked rigorous intellectual commitment, creating what academic research confirms: humor and irreverence enhance creativity by enabling cognitive flexibility and emotional perspective.
We operate as what Gayatri Spivak envisioned when she wrote about collective literary efforts enabling marginalized voices to emerge through “relational subjectivation.” Our members don't simply write; they create cultural infrastructure:
Adebayo Kolawole Samuel's chapbook selection by Chris Abani and Kwame Dawes for the African Poetry Book Fund demonstrates our direct engagement with continental literary networks.
Wale Ayinla's To Cast a Dream, winner of the 2020 Toi Derricotte and Cornelius Eady Chapbook Prize, proves Nigerian poetry's capacity to claim space in American literary landscapes.
Adedayo Agarau's leadership as Editor-in-Chief at Agbowo positions our collective within the vanguard of digital African literary publishing.
Nome Patrick's forthcoming work in Granta and MFA studies at Brown University embody our transnational literary reach.
Professor O-Jeremiah's celebration in Oxford, Mississippi signals our growing influence in American academic spaces.
We stand at the threshold of what contemporary critics call the “decolonization of the digital literary canon.” Our work represents systematic intervention in how literary talent is identified, developed, and circulated. We create spaces where “the intersubjective and collective experiences of nationness, community interest, or cultural value are negotiated.”
The Nigerian literary renaissance requires more than individual genius—it demands institutional innovation. We provide that innovation through community formation, economic independence, and strategic irreverence toward conventional pathways.
We expand the African Literary Canon not through petition but through production, not through protest but through persistent creative excellence.
Join us in the serious business of being unserious about literary boundaries.
Meet Our Members →