BOLOUEBI SOLOMON

Follow the Journey of All of Us – A Nigerian Memoir

Before there was a memoir, there was a poem.

A quiet beginning. A whisper that refused to stay silent.

What began as a poem titled In the Light became the first step toward something far greater — a journey into memory, survival, and visibility. At the time, Bolouebi did not know she was writing the foundations of a book. She only knew she had to follow where the words were leading.

Bolouebi is an Anglo-Nigerian writer based in West Yorkshire, shaped by the waters of the Niger Delta and the seasons of Northern England. Her voice carries the cadence of Ijaw heritage, the rhythm of Port Harcourt, the warmth of pidgin English, and the shifting textures of a life lived between cultures. Her writing lives in the space between worlds — where memory, faith, scarcity, womanhood, and reinvention meet.

All of Us emerged slowly from fragments of poetry and reflection into a legacy memoir rooted in Nigeria. It tells the story of a girl separated from her mother, moving through communal homes and the arms of many women. Raised in scarcity yet held within complex love, she learns resilience before she learns safety. Through this journey, the memoir explores poverty, patriarchy, belief systems, and the quiet strength of women who carry families through impossible conditions.

This is a Nigerian story — intimate, layered, and honest. But it is also universal.

It is about inheritance. About what we are given, what we endure, and what we choose to transform. It asks how survival shapes identity long after childhood ends.

“This is not just my story. It is the story of all of us who survived.”

For Bolouebi, writing is not performance. It is a revelation. An act of exploration—an act of self-discovery and quiet excavation.

On 2nd May, at Civic Hall in Holmfirth, Bolouebi will host All of Us: A Gathering of Storytellers — a collaborative pre-launch event designed as a shared space for reflection and dialogue. It is more than a book launch. It is an invitation to the community. A place where diverse stories can sit side by side, and lived experiences are honoured.

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