Words find me and I give them life – Sandra

Bookshelf: How did you start writing poetry? Adeyeye Sandra: I fell in love with poetry as a form of expression since I discovered it in my literature class back in secondary school. I have my teachers to thank for it. I have since found relief and strength in poetry. Bookshelf: People write for different reasons. […]

Bookshelf: How did you start writing poetry?

Adeyeye Sandra: I fell in love with poetry as a form of expression since I discovered it in my literature class back in secondary school. I have my teachers to thank for it. I have since found relief and strength in poetry.

Bookshelf: People write for different reasons. Why do you write?

Sandra: It has been argued that I am an activist or advocate for different courses but I see myself as a visionary; a dreamer who believes in truth, beauty and love and I try to paint these ideologies in words through my works.

Bookshelf: What themes interest you?

Sandra: As a new generation writer and artiste, I really do not have an area of concentration when it comes to expression. Some writers plan to write, i cannot tell you same. I just know that words find me and I put them down. One thing is certain about my work though, you will always find an element of hope in them. And we can all agree that we all need hope to go through each day.

Bookshelf: Poet and writer may try to pass on information or even advocacy, what is yours?

Sandra: I would say I preach love in all its forms. I preach beauty and the aesthetics of nature. I preach hope for all of humanity. And I speak relative truth.

Bookshelf: As a poet and thespian who loves children, what projects have you embarked on that has affected lives and the society?

Sandra: last year I set up a theatre for children between the ages of 7 to 17 called ‘Eminent Creators Children’s Theatre (ECCT). We provide unique opportunities for aspiring young actors to model roles in works of the next generation of playwrights in Nigeria. We teach drama, dance, music and fashion to children who may or may not want to pursue entertainment later in life. We are focused on maximizing the potentials of children and also get them to use their time doing something useful and productive that benefits their parents and society at large. We discovered that if their juvenile energies are channeled properly, a lot of our societal vices will be curbed. This is our own way of giving back to the society. We are currently based in Abuja and we just staged our first show on November 25 entitled, ‘the princesses and the prince’

Bookshelf: How many poems have you written?

Sandra: Really, I cannot say. I lost a lot of them recently in my computers.

Bookshelf: What’s your favourite piece and why?

Sandra: I would say my poem ‘Drops’, because it started as an innocent description of an experience which involved me waiting for rain to fall after the clouds had turned deep grey and the ground was waiting to receive the downpour, yet rain did not fall. At the moment, comments about that piece has ranged from something sensual, erotic to seductive, yet whenever I go over those words, I smile, knowing the original meaning and laugh when I recall people’s interpretation.

Bookshelf: In Nigeria, writers are not known to be amongst the richest people. What keeps you going?

Sandra: I am a graduate of Theatre Arts from the University of Benin. As a thespian, I engage in stage, screen and radio productions, and dabble into photography and editing. I am also a consultant and an entrepreneur.