Instagram story viewer> @jidesalawu> Tagged

Jídé Salawu

@jidesalawu

undefined

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

“Finally, this is the genesis of your curse,
of longings and memories that sit on you
like blisters.” - Jide Salawu, My Country Describes Itself to Me & Other Poems

77

0

African Urban Echoes
Edited by
Jide Salawu @jidesalawu
Rasaq Malik Gbolahan @rasaq_malik_gbolahan

Available for order via Griots Lounge Canada
www.griotslounge.ca

64

0

🥁🥁🥁
We are pleased to announce the winners of our Sealey Challenge Giveaway!

In case you missed it, we held a giveaway of three copies of Contraband Bodies by Jide Salawu for three lucky poetry lovers.
Our lucky winners are @g.r.a.c.i.e_lla tarinabo_x and @chidalu___

The giveaway was done in honour of the Sealey Challenge–which encourages poetry lovers to read a chapbook or poetry collection every day in August. In addition to the books, winners will also receive tote bags and fashion pins.

To our winners, send us a direct message with your delivery details so you can receive your gifts.

Congratulations once again!

44

7

I didn’t realize the #sealeychallenge was a thing until it was too late to join this year. I have read some poetry in August, but I didn’t have access to enough to do the challenge completely. I’ll have to start stockpiling for next year.

But here’s a stack of poetry that I love to recommend! If you’re needing more books for your challenge, or if you just want more poetry recs in general, this is the post for you.

78

10

Hear ye! Hear ye! We are supporting participation in the Sealey Challenge by giving away three copies of Contraband Bodies by Jide Salawu, along with tote bags, book marks, and fashion pins!

The Sealey Challenge encourages everyone to read one poetry book or chapbook per day throughout August.

To participate in our giveaway, write a new poem by filling in the blank spaces in the poetry prompt with your own words. Put your new poem in the comments section. The prompt is from Salawu's poem, "Lagos Is a Watershed Dream".

We will be picking three winners at random. The giveaway closes on Thursday 20 August.

#NarrativeLandscapePress #JideSalawu #ContrabandBodies #SealeyChallenge #NigerianAuthors

79

27

"In Jide Salawu’s Contraband Bodies (NeWest Press, 2025), the image of black bodies travelling assumes palpable materiality. The exilic undertones in the collection are depicted as voluntary exercise. Voluntary in the sense that these black bodies are embarking on exile out of their own will. But there is an implied involuntariness in the sense of the fact that “nobody leaves home unless home is the mouth of a shark” (Warsan Shire, 2023). Years of arbitrary misgovernance, insecurity, constantly decreasing life expectancy rate as a result of the nation’s inordinate desire to remain stagnant, and a fantastic misuse of the gains of independence, all coalesce to drive the young African body into a constant negotiation with his or her feet. Japa–as the new, unbridled, massive wave of exodus from Africa, is now fondly called–becomes the incentive for a hopeful life. This is the backstory to the centrality of Salawu’s audacious narrativization of the migrant body, the black body in flight."

Hop onto the link in our bio to read the complete review of Contraband Bodies by @jidesalawu

#booklover
#bookreview
#bookaddict
#bookstagramer

17

2

Which one would you pick up?

Felt like sharing some poetry recommendations for your weekend reading!

#poetry #bookrecs #poetryreading #bookshelf #poetrycollection

53

9

These and many more were excerpt from our conversation with Dr. Jide Salawu [@jidesalawu], we explored his journey into writing, the experiences that shaped his latest poetry collection, Contraband Bodies, and what it means to navigate identity, belonging, and life as a Nigerian in the diaspora.

This is one conversation every writer, reader, and anyone interested in the African experience should hear.

Missed Episode 34? The link is in the bio

Go have a listen.

#NKEMCreatives #AfricanAuthorsPodcast #Authors #writerscommuníty

3

3

Reviews in a bit
#booklover #bookreview #bookaddict #bookstagramafrica #poetrycommunity

8

1

What's in a poem?

As shared by poets Jide Salawu, author of Contraband Bodies, a narrative of Black migration, and Chinua Ezenwa-Ohaeto, author of The Naming, a young man's discovery of his own lineage, our histories are in poems.

Histories of nations, of generations, and of the inimitable individual.

Thank you, Jide and Chinua, for an enlightening conversation! And thank you to our moderator, Jochebed, for anchoring this chat.

Watch the live back to hear the poets' thoughts on migration and the importance of preserving one's story.

Contraband Bodies and Unbound (to which Chinua contributed) are available on our website (link in bio) and in bookstores.

#narrativelandscapepress #authorsinconversation #jidesalawu #chinuaezenwaohaeto

52

1

"Salawu meditates on the agony of Atlantic memories and dispersal, confronting new forms of digital kinship."

"The Naming explores...the various ways one remains tied to their ancestors by reimagining memories, history, homesteads, migration, and the intersections of the past, present, and possible futures."

This Friday, join Jide Salawu (author, Contraband Bodies) and Chinua Ezenwa-Ohaeto (author, The Naming) in conversation about their critical work as poets and keepers of memories. The event will be moderated by Jochebed Airede, a poet and writer.

Buy Contraband Bodies (link in bio; https://www.narrativelandscape.com/shop/), buy The Naming (www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/nebraska/9781496244703/the-naming/), mark your calendars and join the conversation!

#NarrativeLandscapePress #JideSalawu #ChinuaEzenwaOhaeto #NigerianPoets #AfricanPoetry

110

0

Episode 34 of The African Authors Podcast brings us into conversation with Dr. Jide Salawu [@jidesalawu], as he reflects on his early journey to becoming a writer, the experiences that inspired his latest poetry collection, Contraband Bodies, and what it means to navigate life as a Nigerian in the diaspora.

This isn't just a conversation about literature. It's about identity, home, belonging, and the stories that shape us.

🎧 Listen now. Link in bio.

#NkemCreatives #AfricanAuthorsPodcast #Podcaster #PodcastRecommendations

3

1