I was born in March 1982 in Edinburgh, Scotland, to Nigerian parents and have lived in Nigeria since 1983. And graduating with a degree in Pharmacy in 2004.

I grew up in a world of books - Enid Blyton's magical world of fairies, gnomes, golliwogs and strange lands; and her realist world of Famous Fives, Five Find Outers, and Secret Sevens; and also a world of ancient fairy and folk tales (Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Goldilocks, Hansel and Gretel, Snow White, Aladdin, Puss in Boots...). We had editions of these tales at home, and I spent many moments immersed in them. Of course I can't forget to mention the folktales of my Yoruba tribe, on everything from how the Tortoise got his broken shell to why the Cat and the Mouse are lifelong enemies.

My foray serious writing started in 2002, at the beginning of some eight months I was to spend at home courtesy of a nationwide strike by university teachers in Nigeria. I had months earlier bought a copy of a book titled "How to build a long-lasting fire" - a guide to writing poetry from the stuff of your life, using models from beginning and established poets. A few months later, some poems of mine came to the attention of British poet and novelist, Sam Smith. He instantly offered to publish me. October 2003, I became a published poet. That same October, my first short story (as a serious writer?) appeared in the PEN Nigeria Anthology of New Nigeria Writing; A MELODY OF STONES.

I have since then garnered a handful of appearances and acceptances online (Eclectica, Subjective Substance, Hackwriters, Zacatecas Review, Banyan Review, Stickman Review, amongst others, and in print - Mississippi Review, Inkpot, Sentinel Poetry, Olongo, Times Arts Review, The Journal. The poem 'Visiting the Yellow River' won a 2006 Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Prize.

His poem, Lorenzo and Maria, was broadcast on the BBC World Service Weekend Network Africa on Sunday the 25th of March, in commemoration of the bicentennial anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade.

Tolu is currently taking part in the BBC Africa 2005 My Africa Project, you can read his blog entries here.

Tolu's blog: http://omoalagbede.blogspot.com/

Tolu wins prestigious Swedish Scholarship (29/02/08)

What hope for indigenous African literatures? by Tolulope Ogunlesi (05/12/07)

Facebook Poetry – Oxymoron or Hamburger-Chain Art? by Tolulope Ogunlesi (05/12/07)

Tolu was the winner of the First Facebook Poetry Competition http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2416793140 (23/11/07)

Tolu's interview with The Guardian in Nigeria http://www.guardiannewsngr.com/sunday_magazine/article06

Article on BBC News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4569398.stm