Of Ivory And Ink; a stunning debut poetry collection by Lanaire Aderemi

Lanaire Aderemi is a writer with an introspective and empathetic gaze that gives her work a universal quality, despite her poetry collection mainly engaging with her personal story. 

Aderemi is a spoken word performer and has successfully staged a drama production at her university Warwick called You Did Not Break Us. She is a sociology student and an advocate for women's rights, having taken action herself on her campus, speaking up against sexual assault channeling the striking words of the late feminist Audre Lorde 'Your silence will not protect you'. As President of the Warwick Anti-Sexism Society, it is unsurprising that she took action against sexual violence taking place at Warwick. Aderemi's bold, determined and focused approach in exploring issues is evident in her poetry. 

The poems are written mostly in free-verse, allowing her to express all thoughts and experiences, from the mundane to the spiritual. In her poem Tomorrow Is An Illusion, Aderemi outlines the overwhelming expectations we tend to heap on the idea of 'tomorrow' and highlights the unrealistic nature of these expectations. She describes the idea of many being 'infatuated with the present' in the way that daily events almost consume us and the vacant optimism of the phrase 'leaders of tomorrow'. Additionally, the poem Keep Your Circle has a cautionary tone in describing the importance of self-preservation and remembering who you are in friendships, the fact that there is always space for misplaced or broken trust. She wisely urges us, and probably herself, to 'keep your circle within you' in the unreliable atmosphere of human relationships. The structure and subject matter of her poems is deliberately personal, this vulnerability gives her work a sense of honesty.

Lanaire Aderemi's words counsel, soothe and heal. Of Ivory And Ink is a representation of how this poet uses her experiences as a vehicle for positive change in the lives of others. She expresses the painful and unpredictable nature of time in Haiku: In Memory of Someone I Never Knew and the dynamic nature of emotions in Like Weeds in Grass. Also, Third Mainland Bridge reads as a bitter-sweet love-letter to the Lagos by juxtaposing the luxurious excesses of the city, as well as its poverty and deprivation. The spirit of competition and struggle between Lagosians permeates this poem and she uses natural imagery to illustrate this. These poems are a gentle reminder that to be human is to think, to reflect and to experience. She communicates this ever-changing state when she writes, raising questions rather than pretending to have all the answers. Overall, Aderemi's command of words is profound, she is one to watch. 

This poetry book, Of Ivory And Ink, is available to purchase on demand from the poet herself, at lanaireaderemi@gmail.com. You can also get this book at the 'She Creates' networking event on the 31st of August 2018 (link below for tickets) https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/she-creates-tickets-48572009187