SPOTLIGHT

New Writing

Dispatches

CLIPS

The Poems I Love brings poetry to life through expressive readings and thoughtful conversations. Hosted by poet and publisher Servio Gbadamosi, the podcast explores classical and contemporary poems from around the world, inviting listeners into shared spaces of language, memory, and feeling. From time to time, special guests join the programme to share poems that have moved them, celebrating language, storytelling, and the shared emotions that shape our lives. In this special Episode 84, Servio is joined by Emmanuella Olagunju and Kayode Sanni for a warm and engaging reflection on the previous eleven episodes of the series. Together, they revisit memorable conversations, reflect on standout poems and recurring themes, and discuss the moments that have lingered most deeply with them throughout the season. The conversation also offers listeners a glimpse into what lies ahead for The Poems I Love—new voices, richer conversations, and an ever-growing archive of poetry that continues to connect, challenge, and inspire audiences across communities. Whether you have followed the journey from the beginning or are discovering the podcast for the first time, this episode is an invitation to pause, revisit the season's highlights, and celebrate the enduring power of poetry to illuminate our shared humanity. The Poems I Love airs every Wednesday on Spotify and YouTube. Do not forget to like, comment, share, and subscribe—and turn on notifications so you never miss a new episode. #ThePoemsILove #PoetryPodcast #Poetry #Poems #AfricanPoetry #AfricanLiterature #Noirledge #NoirledgePublishing #TPIL #Publisher #Storytelling #NigerianPoets #Literature #IbadanFestival #ServioGbadamosi #KayodeSanni #EmmanuellaOlagunju
The Poems I Love Episode 84 | Season 7 Finale
The Poems I Love brings poetry to life through expressive readings and thoughtful conversations. Hosted by poet and publisher Servio Gbadamosi, the podcast explores classical and contemporary poems from around the world, inviting listeners into shared spaces of language, memory, and feeling. From time to time, special guests join the programme to reflect on poems that have shaped their inner lives, celebrating the beauty of poetry and the enduring power of storytelling. In Episode 83, Servio is joined by Oladosu Michael Emerald, a writer, artist, and actor whose multidisciplinary practice spans literature, visual art, and performance. He is the author of Every Little Thing That Moves, serves as Art Editor at Surging Tide magazine, and is an editor at The MAAR Review. Emerald also teaches at The Arnheim Art Gallery and YAAH, where he mentors emerging creatives. His work has received significant recognition, including the Off the Limit Art Contest (2024), Sprinng Poetry Contest (2024), GPC Neurodivergent Contest (2025), and the Sine Qua Non Inaugural Poetry Prize (2025). He is also a Pioneer Fellow of the Muktar Aliyu Art Residency. His writing has appeared or is forthcoming in Chestnut Review, FIYAH, Temz Review, and other notable publications. In this episode, Oladosu Michael Emerald reads and reflects on four poems: • To the Young Who Want to Die by Gwendolyn Brooks • Ibadan Does Not Know Your Father's Name by Qudus Olowo • Surrender by Rasaq Malik Gbolahan • The Thing Is by Ellen Bass Together, these poems invite a moving meditation on survival, identity, resilience, and the quiet courage required to embrace life despite its uncertainties. The Poems I Love airs every Wednesday on Spotify and YouTube. Do not forget to like, comment, share, and subscribe—and turn on notifications so you never miss a new episode. #ThePoemsILove #PoetryPodcast #Poetry #Poems #AfricanPoetry #AfricanLiterature #Noirledge #NoirledgePublishing #TPIL #Publisher #Storytelling #NigerianPoets #Literature #IbadanFestival #ServioGbadamosi #OladosuMichaelEmerald #GwendolynBrooks #QudusOlowo #RasaqMalikGbolahan #EllenBass
The Poems I Love Episode 83 | Oladosu Michael Emerald
The Poems I Love brings poetry to life through expressive readings and thoughtful conversations. Hosted by poet and publisher Servio Gbadamosi, the podcast explores classical and contemporary poems from around the world, inviting listeners into shared spaces of language, memory, and feeling. From time to time, special guests join the programme to reflect on poems that have shaped their inner lives, celebrating the beauty of poetry and the enduring power of storytelling. In Episode 82, Servio is joined by Kayode Sanni, a creative professional whose work sits at the intersection of music, media, and communications. Trained in Music Technology and shaped by both classical and contemporary vocal studies, he brings a distinctive blend of technical expertise and artistic sensitivity to his practice. His experience spans reporting, news casting, editing, presentation, content strategy, and digital communications across radio, publishing, and online platforms. Through his work with organisations including Noirledge Publishing, Jamz FM, Lead Radio, and several nonprofit foundations, Kayode has earned a reputation for clarity, creativity, and dependable execution, using storytelling to inform, engage, and inspire diverse audiences. In this episode, Kayode Sanni reads and reflects on Esiaba Irobi's powerful poem: • The Kingdom of the Mad Through this profound work, the conversation explores poetry's capacity to confront power, illuminate social realities, and give voice to the complexities of the human condition. The Poems I Love airs every Wednesday on Spotify and YouTube. Do not forget to like, comment, share, and subscribe—and turn on notifications so you never miss a new episode. #ThePoemsILove #PoetryPodcast #Poetry #Poems #AfricanPoetry #AfricanLiterature #Noirledge #NoirledgePublishing #TPIL #Publisher #Storytelling #NigerianPoets #Literature #IbadanFestival #ServioGbadamosi #KayodeSanni #EsiabaIrobi
The Poems I Love Episode 82 | Kayode Sanni
Snippet | Episode 82 | Kayode Sanni
The Poems I Love brings poetry to life through expressive readings and thoughtful conversations. Hosted by poet and publisher Servio Gbadamosi, the podcast explores classical and contemporary poems from around the world, inviting listeners into shared spaces of language, memory, and feeling. From time to time, special guests join the programme to reflect on poems that have shaped their inner lives, celebrating the beauty of poetry and the enduring power of storytelling. In Episode 81, Servio turns the spotlight on Jide Badmus's acclaimed poetry collection, Dawn is an Open Wound, offering intimate readings and reflections on some of its most compelling poems. Servio Gbadamosi is an award-winning Nigerian poet, publisher, and creative visionary whose work draws deeply from Yorùbá cosmology, African spirituality, and the lived experiences of ordinary people. His poetry has been described as "elegiac and visionary, an archive of cultural memory and a compass for collective healing." His debut collection, A Tributary in Servitude, won the Association of Nigerian Authors Poetry Prize in 2015 and was a finalist for the Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa in 2018. His second collection, Where the Light Enters You, was a finalist for both the Association of Nigerian Authors Poetry Prize in 2021 and the inaugural Pan African Writers Association Poetry Prize in 2022. Learn more at www.serviogbadamosi.com. In this episode, Servio reads and reflects on five poems from Dawn Is an Open Wound: • The Road • Danfo • Next of Skin • Hard Target • Tales We Aren't Bold Enough to Tell Together, these poems explore the emotional landscapes of memory, identity, survival, and contemporary Nigerian life, revealing Jide Badmus's remarkable ability to transform personal and collective experience into unforgettable poetry. The Poems I Love airs every Wednesday on Spotify and YouTube. Do not forget to like, comment, share, and subscribe—and turn on notifications so you never miss a new episode. #ThePoemsILove #PoetryPodcast #Poetry #Poems #AfricanPoetry #AfricanLiterature #Noirledge #NoirledgePublishing #TPIL #Publisher #Storytelling #NigerianPoets #Literature #IbadanFestival #ServioGbadamosi #JideBadmus
The Poems I Love Episode 81 | Servio Gbadamosi
The Poems I Love brings poetry to life through expressive readings and thoughtful conversations. Hosted by poet and publisher Servio Gbadamosi, the podcast explores classical and contemporary poems from around the world, inviting listeners into shared spaces of language, memory, and feeling. From time to time, special guests join the programme to reflect on poems that have shaped their inner lives, celebrating the beauty of poetry and the enduring power of storytelling. In Episode 80, Servio is joined by Adedolapo Ogunwuyi, a content strategist, SEO copywriter, and editor. She holds a degree in English and Linguistics from Kwara State University and has built a career spanning publishing, media, digital marketing, and e-commerce, helping brands communicate with clarity, engage the right audiences, and achieve meaningful results through compelling content. Adedolapo is the co-founder of OptiRise, a digital branding and professional optimisation agency, and the founder of The Housewares Emporium, an online retail business serving customers across Nigeria. Beyond her professional pursuits, she is deeply committed to the empowerment of the girl child and actively volunteers with initiatives that create opportunities for young women. At the heart of her work is a simple yet enduring conviction: that good writing should inform, connect, and inspire action. In this episode, Adedolapo Ogunwuyi reads and reflects on two poems: • Vanity by Birago Diop • Crossing the Bar by Alfred, Lord Tennyson Together, these poems invite a profound reflection on mortality, memory, and the enduring questions of legacy, reminding us of both the transience of life and the hope that lies beyond it. The Poems I Love airs every Wednesday on Spotify and YouTube. Do not forget to like, comment, share, and subscribe—and turn on notifications so you never miss a new episode. #ThePoemsILove #PoetryPodcast #Poetry #Poems #AfricanPoetry #AfricanLiterature #Noirledge #NoirledgePublishing #TPIL #Publisher #Storytelling #NigerianPoets #Literature #IbadanFestival #ServioGbadamosi #AdedolapoOgunwuyi #BiragoDiop #AlfredLordTennyson Adedolapo Ogunwuyi, Birago Diop, Alfred, Lord Tennyson,
The Poems I Love Episode 80 | Adedolapo Ogunwuyi
Snippet | Episode 80 | Adedolapo Ogunwuyi
Snippet | Episode 79 | Moses Emeka
The Poems I Love brings poetry to life through expressive readings and thoughtful conversations. Hosted by poet and publisher Servio Gbadamosi, the podcast explores classical and contemporary poems from around the world, inviting listeners into shared spaces of language, memory, and feeling. From time to time, special guests join the programme to reflect on poems that have shaped their inner lives, celebrating the beauty of poetry and the enduring power of storytelling. In Episode 79, Servio is joined by Moses Emeka, an Igbo writer, photographer, and editor based in Ibadan, Nigeria. His work engages African literary aesthetics and the critical life of books, while his essays have explored writers such as Abdulrazak Gurnah within broader literary and philosophical contexts. His poems have appeared in publications including Variety Pack, and he previously served as Political Editor of the now-defunct New York–based online magazine Mixed Mag. Beyond his own writing, Moses has worked extensively as a first reader and editor for emerging Nigerian writers and remains actively engaged in conversations about the evolving directions of African literature. He is a 2022 SPRINNG Writing Fellow. In this episode, Moses Emeka reads and reflects on four poems: • It Begins with Love by Romeo Oriogun • Don't Hesitate by Mary Oliver • My Legacy Will Be Different by Kondwa Rayne • Silver Spoons by Lydia Kasese Together, these poems invite a meditation on love, courage, inheritance, and the quiet choices through which we shape the lives we leave behind. The Poems I Love airs every Wednesday on Spotify and YouTube. Do not forget to like, comment, share, and subscribe—and turn on notifications so you never miss a new episode. #ThePoemsILove #PoetryPodcast #Poetry #Poems #AfricanPoetry #AfricanLiterature #Noirledge #NoirledgePublishing #TPIL #Publisher #Storytelling #NigerianPoets #Literature #IbadanFestival #ServioGbadamosi #MosesEmeka #RomeoOriogun #MaryOliver #KondwaRayne #LydiaKasese
The Poems I Love Episode 79 | Moses Emeka
Subscribe on YouTube

Essays

    Encounters

    PODCAST

    Trailer

    Latest Episode

    Listen on Spotify

    Reviews and Criticism