Kazeem Olalekan has recently published his second book, Lamentations where he uses the universal language of poetry to describe his life journey.
Kazeem was born in Nigeria and moved to the United Kingdom in 1991, where he did his 'A' Levels, studied Pharmacy at the University of Sunderland and then went on to complete a master’s degree in Business Information Technology at the Newcastle Business School. Kazeem now lives in Southampton and draws on a range of life experiences in his writing.
Lamentations draws on the oral traditions of the Yoruba language and infuses it with the best of the world's poetic outputs to produce a book set to take readers on a journey of passion, exhilaration, sadness and reflection - all set within a musical framework.
Kazeem said: “Lamentations is a collection of poems I have written using different styles, cobbled together after studying great poetic works by different masters of this genre. You might notice me paying homage to some of the greatest poetic works of our time – either in style, form or reference.”
This book has had a cathartic effect on the author and reflects on the complexity of perception and of the power of God.
His first published work, The Doctrine of Universal Truths was a reflection on his dramatic life trajectory.
He said: “My objective is to inspire as well as to entertain readers. I like to share my world with readers and demonstrate that nothing is impossible.”
He continued: “The time I spent in Sunderland in particular and the North East in general was particularly difficult for a number of personal reasons. Nonetheless, the dedication of the University lecturers and the warmth of the locals were instrumental in guiding me through those difficult huddles.”
Kazeem is also a specialist paediatric pharmacist at the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust.