Jumoke Verissimo

Jumoke Verissimo is a poet, critic, writer, professor, and editor. Her work has received critical acclaim and awards, including the Aidoo-Snyder Book Prize and the Carlos Idzia Ahmad Prize. She has been nominated for a number of literary awards, including the RSL Ondaatje Prize, the Edinburgh Festival First Book Award, among several others.

Verissimo’s poetic explorations examine themes of memory, identity, and cultural heritage. Her debut collection, i am memory (2008), received widespread praise for its evocative language and poignant experimentation with personal and collective experiences through the use of orality. She has since published The Birth of Illusion and the novel A Small Silence.

In addition to her literary pursuits, Verissimo is a dedicated educator and advocate. She currently teaches at Toronto Metropolitan University and serves on the board of the CORA Art and Cultural Foundation in Nigeria and NeWest Press in Canada. Her commitment to social justice is evident in her co-edited anthology, Sòròsókè: An #Endsars Anthology, which addresses the issue of police brutality in Nigeria.