Tolu Oloruntoba is a Nigerian-Canadian poet, physician, and public health professional. He is best known for his debut poetry collection, The Junta of Happenstance, which won the Governor General's Award for English-language poetry at the 2021 Governor General's Awards and the Griffin Poetry Prize in 2022.
Born in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, Oloruntoba trained as a physician before emigrating to Canada. He later transitioned into healthcare leadership and has worked in British Columbia as a manager of virtual health projects.
His writing explores themes including migration, identity, memory, illness, family, colonialism, and belonging. His poems have appeared in numerous literary journals in Canada and internationally.
Career
Oloruntoba's first chapbook, Manubrium, was shortlisted for the bpNichol Chapbook Award in 2020.
His debut full-length poetry collection, The Junta of Happenstance, was published by Palimpsest Press in 2021. The collection received widespread critical acclaim and won the Governor General's Award for English-language poetry and the Griffin Poetry Prize, becoming one of the most celebrated Canadian poetry collections of the year.
His second poetry collection, Each One a Furnace, was published in 2022 and was shortlisted for several Canadian literary awards.
Works
Manubrium (chapbook, 2020) The Junta of Happenstance (2021) Each One a Furnace (2022)
Awards and honours
Shortlisted for the bpNichol Chapbook Award (2020) Governor General's Award for English-language poetry (2021) Griffin Poetry Prize (2022)
See also
List of Nigerian writers Canadian poetry
References
External links