Valentine Okolo

Valentine Okolo is a poet, a filmmaker, a social activist and a spoken word artist from Nigeria.

He is the author of a thought provoking book called I Will Be Silent and the studio album I Will Be Silent: Spoken Words. His poetry has been published internationally in various literary magazines, including Apogee Journal, Origins Journal, Shot Glass Journal, African Writer and Best New African Poets 2018 Anthology, edited by Tendai Rinos Mwanaka & Nsah Mala. An anthology of African poetry which brings together the work of 154 African poets from over 30 African countries, and the African Diasporas.

His work was also featured in a community based pandemic poem, along with the lines of 220 other poets, selected from sixteen countries from across the globe. This community poem was published by Muse-Pie Press, a literary establishment based in the United States, which has been publishing award-winning poetry since 1980.

Valentine Okolo's literary inclination, which he has applied in the media and publishing industry, started many years ago. In 2005, he was the editor of Arts and Self Expression for Know Yourself Magazine, a self-help publication based in the United Kingdom. He has also served as an editor for other publications and books as well.

In 2020, he published his first collection of contemporary poetry, I Will Be Silent.

The book’s relative success, especially within literary circles, has greatly enhanced Okolo’s burgeoning reputation as a ‘serious’ poet.

Following on the critical acclaim of I Will Be Silent, Valentine Okolo put some of the book’s poems into song and subsequently produced the studio album, I Will Be Silent: Spoken Words.

Quite significant is the fact that he composed and arranged the music himself, drawing largely from traditional musical instruments, especially the African flute.

The album features ten mesmerising songs that are delightfully entertaining and soothingly therapeutic. Overall, I Will Be Silent: Spoken Words is a successful experimentation in the art of fusing poetry and original music together. It is the ideal recipe for relaxing the nerves and chilling out after a long, stressful day!