Welcome to the blog tour for Tolu Akinyemi’s Dead Lions Don’t Roar and Dead Dogs Don’t Bark. I had a chat with the poet on his books and other interesting topics. Enjoy!

The titles of your two books are quite interesting and unique. What inspired them?

My book titles are metaphorical in nature and they are to inspire us to find our unique roar, bark, meow and growl. The titles are apt based on the poetic wisdom for the discerning series which I am currently writing about and it was inspired by the need to see people put their gifts and talents to positive use while there is still breath in them.

What was the writing process like? What part of writing the books will you always remember fondly?

The writing process was very much straight-forward as I knew the message I wanted to convey, and I tried my best not to change my approach. I think the best part of the writing journey I will always remember is seeing the books in print. That was an absolute joy.

It is usually said that, a writer’s work has bits of the writer’s personal experience in it. Is that the case with your books? And if so, how much of yourself is reflected in there?

I would say my second and third titles “Unravel your Hidden Gems and Dead Dogs Don’t bark reflect my personal experiences as the essay collection came about from my knowledge, intellect and experiences over the years and Dead Dogs Don’t Bark also reflect a bit of my experiences and some important people that have added value to my life over the years. There are occasions it will be difficult to detach the writer from the work especially for poetry collections. Continue reading →