Theresa Lola

Theresa Lola is a British Nigerian poet, writer, and tutor and events producer based in London. She is the joint winner of the 2018 Brunel International African Poetry Prize. Aside from the Brunel Prize, Theresa won the 2017 Hammer and Tongue National Slam, she was shortlisted for the 2017 Bridport Poetry Prize, and her poem Portrait of Us As Snow White was highly commended for the 2016 Charles Causley Competition judged by Andrew Motion. She was featured in the 'Forces of Change' September 2019 issue of British Vogue guest edited by Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle. ​In 2020 she was awarded Alumna of the Year 2020 by University of Hertfordshire. She is part of Octavia Women of Colour collective led by Rachel Long. ​She was appointed the 2019/2020 Young People's Laureate for London. As part of her laureateship she held poetry teaching residencies at Bethlem Museum of the Mind, Wellcome Collection, St. Paul's Cathedral and Free Word Centre. Theresa has also facilitated poetry workshops at St Mary's University and University of Surrey, schools such as Saint Gabriel's College and Dunraven School, and as part of the Africa Writes Festival Education Programme.