Antoinette-Rita Okoiye spoke to Rebecca Duffett

Antoinette-Rita Okoiye

Antoinette-Rita Okoiye is just 20 years old, but has already published three books of poetry; one of them carrying a foreword from the former President of Nigeria. To hear her story and find out about her inspiration, Rebecca Duffett spent time chatting with her.

Rebecca: Tell us a bit about yourself and about your testimony.

Antoinette: I'm a 20 year old second year law student at NSC. Before that I was faced with trials and tribulations even before coming into this world. My Mum, she is a blessing; in fact she is a wonderful woman of wisdom. She was a single black parent and she's also a wheelchair user. When I was conceived, she went to the doctors to have the scans and treatment and the doctors thought it would be wise for her to have an abortion because of her disability. My Mum is of the Christian faith and so she said, "No; what if this is the only child that God gives to me?" You know, I am her only child. Imagine if she had aborted me. I just give God thanks for her life and for her saying no. Everything I've achieved with my song writing, poetry, novels and being at LSE starting a journey to becoming a lawyer, all that would have been lost if my Mum had said, "Yes, the doctors know everything".

Rebecca: Tell us more about you're writing.

Antoinette: I've been writing since I was six and my Mum actually has a certificate to prove it from primary school, that Antoinette is a great writer. My Mum thought that they meant great handwriting like my grandmother, that is until I was nine when I wrote my first song; then when I was 13 I went to Florida to get an award for being a young poet, courtesy of the International Society of Poets. After that my Mum saw a few books on a stall and she said, "You know Antoinette, I think it's time for you to have your own books". I'd already been in anthologies and the people who are publishing it are making the money, not me. I did it so my name was out there from a very young age. From the age of 13 I started making a portfolio for myself of poetry and song. When I was 18 I released my first book, 'Purple and Blue Inspirational Poems' and my second book the 'Blue Ocean - Peace Power Prosperity'.

Rebecca: What inspires you when you're writing poetry?

Antoinette: Many people ask me that, because I've written over 500 poems. To be honest I don't know. When I read my poems back, I honestly ask did I really write this? My first answer is God. I thank God for this talent of mine. Then I see the world and I see what has been happening. I see teenage pregnancies; knife and gun crime and what's happened recently with a 15 year old boy getting stabbed. I've already written about drugs and the abuse of it. I've written about things that really touch me personally. I know that if I didn't have the strong background that I have, then I may have fallen into that trap too. I didn't grow up with a Dad; being a young lady I could have been manipulated; but I thank God that wasn't my portion. Whatever I see in the world as well, that also inspires me; but really and truly whenever I read my poems back and my songs, I'm so in awe, so humbled that I honestly do believe that it is somebody else writing through me.

Rebecca: Would you be able to share one of your poems with us?

Antoinette: Yes, I would love to.

It's called The Land At Sunset:

When I'm relaxing
When I'm watching
The land at sunset
I feel a soft breeze.
I feel a tender sense of peace
I taste a fresh air of beauty
I taste the horizon with glee
I hear the waves gushing up the shore
I hear the laughs and joys of others
I touch the grains of sand which fall through my fingers
I touch the shells, of many colours
I see wonders in such a small but fine area
I see a picture of you and I being happy.

The land at sunset
Contains secrets
So many desires
And many opportunities
So why don't you come and share it with me?
And be set free,
And live a life of opportunity and liberty

When I place my feet in the shallow waters
I feel a revelation of happiness
Coming towards me.
The land at sunset
Gives me pleasure
And makes me as happy
As I can emotionally and happily be!

The land at sunset
The land at sunset
Define it for me...
The land at sunset,
What does it hold for me?
Is it destiny?
Or is it me, trying to find the real me?

Rebecca: That's great! I believe the former President of Nigeria wrote the foreword for one of your books, can you tell us how that came about?

Antoinette: My grandparents were his landlords before he joined the military in the fifties. Then my Mum knew him before she came to this country. After 25 years of not being in contact, my Mum got in contact with him and told him about me. She gave him a copy of my first book and he was really intrigued by it and very excited and happy for me. With my second book I said to him, "It would be an honour for you to write the foreword for me", and he said yes. I didn't have to do any forms or anything, I just asked him.

I know people may think, well how did I get through to him? The message I want to tell people is that you should just be good. My grandmother she suffered a lot; she lost four children, but now I'm enjoying her legacy, because she was the landlord of someone who was going to be a huge personality in Nigeria and a huge leader of influence of great capability. I thought it's just great to be good, because you never know where it's going to lead to for your own generation or for your future generation. That's how we know him and that's how he wrote the foreword for my second book.

Rebecca: If people want to find out a bit more about your work do you have a website?

Antoinette: Yes I do; it's www.harmony-creation.com.

You can buy Antoinette's poetry books at Cross Rhythms Direct.