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FACE ME I FACE YOU

Winner of the Kermit Moyer Prize for Craft in Lyrical Writing

Oyindamola cleverly exploits this reality in short but punchy laugh-out-loud poems that use wit and humor to tell profound stories about her vibrant and memorable characters.
- Dami Ajayi -

A Satirical Trilogy

PALAVA

Palava explores the family dynamics across two generations from the perspective of an unnamed character who witnesses the unfolding drama.

FACE ME I FACE YOU

Face Me I Face You presents the interconnection of neighbors and their lives through the perspective of the unnamed narrator from Palava, who moves out of her mother’s house.

WATER & GARRI

Water & Garri is about the romantic bond between the soon-identified narrator and her lover.

Face Me I Face You is a collection of poems existing at the interface of identity, class, and culture. It holds a mirror to the working class by capturing the narrative essence and dramatized aspirations of its characters. The deployed humor fondly humanizes our modern realities and reaches beyond the tragedy of these colorful archetypes of city life.

Listen & Enjoy…

Customer Review

  • Oyindamola did a great one mixing the lives of different characters to drive home a point while buttering it up with humor. This was an easy and pleasurable read, and I would recommend it to anyone trying to spice up their reading with some good humor, all wrapped up in poetry.

    Gift A.

  • Face Me I Face You is different from what the author has written in the past but doesn’t take away from her ingenuity. It’s soft. The language is playful. The writing is easy and comical yet still highlighting common themes in our community. It’s such an easy read, and I’m glad to add it to the books I’ve read this year.

    Aisha A.

  • Witty poetry holds a special place in my head and heart, so this was a really easy read. Face Me l Face You hits with a mix of hilarity and nostalgia - there's no way it won't have you nodding, laughing, and reminiscing - and aptly captures the chaos of shared living. It is a pleasant read, filled with characters we all know too well.

    Ifeyinwa C.

  • Oyindamola’s Face Me I Face You is not your typical poetry collection. It’s a collection of poems that unfolds like a series of interconnected stories, with each piece feeling like a chapter in a broader narrative. This collection skillfully merges poetry and short stories, vividly bringing to life characters that are both captivating and humorous. The collection grabs attention with its raw and unfiltered voice. It’s a page-turner that’s light yet profound, delivering a smooth reading experience that’s hard to put down.

    Lady Crystabel T.

  • If the poems are like stories, each new poem connecting to the last one, then one sure thing is that I will read it over and over. That is exactly how Face Me I Face You by Oyindamola Shoola felt. My favorite part was reading it out to my cousins because what is a good collection of poems if you don't read it out and banter over it? Face Me I Face You is a collection of poems that highlights the drama that comes with communal living.

    Lynda N.

  • I enjoyed this book so much. Face Me I Face You is a collection of poems and, I dare say short stories that completely engulf you from start to finish. The art is so pretty and it helps readers reach peak imagination. I enjoyed the humor so much and it is my favorite part of the book. The book is so funny that I caught myself laughing at almost every page. I also love how this book highlights reality and the everyday life of Nigerians. Its brilliance is impeccable and the choice of words to form sentences is interesting.

    Ernestine O.

  • This book is non-intimidating, short, witty, and easy to comprehend and enjoy. It is hard not to finish this book in a setting because each poem excites you to want to read the next and the next until you are done. This is the book that will get you out of any reading slump. Oyindamola’s writing is very descriptive, detailed and entertaining that even if you don’t like poetry or think it to be boring, this book will change your mind.

    Dr. Udochi

  • Just at the beginning of this book, I knew I would read it over and over again. I love the writer’s ability to give an interesting and unique voice to each character. I admire how she told the stories of everyday people interestingly. Everyone who has lived or is living in this type of accommodation might get nostalgic. The narrative technique makes it feel like someone is holding you by the hand and branching at each door, telling you about each tenant.

    Damilola O.

  • I used to think that I didn't like poetry or that poetry was too difficult to understand, but reading this book makes me feel like I've missed out on potential books that I would have enjoyed. It is easy to read and hilarious, too. It makes me excited to see books that tell our human stories intentionally and in a relatable way. The playlist was also a hit companion to enjoy the book. It's a very non-exclusive book and anyone can enjoy it. This is the best poetry book I have ever come across. Well written, Oyindamola!

    Abigail S.

FOREWORD

In my first year at a Nigerian University, I lived in one of the low-cost multiple-occupancy buildings that serve as the backdrop for this book – usually comprising a shared hallway dividing opposite rows of rooms and communal facilities.

There is a distinct feature of these living arrangements: the elusiveness of a commodity called privacy, creating an abundant market for the commodity called drama – unraveling daily from the intertwined personal lives and identities of occupants with diverse motivations.

‘Face Me I Face You’ taps heavily into this abundance and more – a reminder of how our social identities and character are shaped (not by the grand gestures and carefully planned outcomes, but) by the cumulative of our mundane interactions with others.

What’s also striking is the refreshing simplicity and engaging clarity of the delivery – an efficient thoroughfare to readers, like a hot knife slicing a bar of butter. In ‘Face Me I Face You,’ Oyindamola serves an acerbic cocktail of witty humor and unpretentiously clear poems that’ll make purists froth at the mouth, but who cares? The audience for this book will love it, even the ones who don’t like poetry.

Tolu Akinyemi (Poetolu)
Chief Editor, Poetry Journal
Author, Funny Men Cannot be Trusted

COMMENTARIES

‘Face Me I Face You’ is the ingenious equivalent of affordable social housing in Nigeria, where rental properties require tenants to share essential facilities and, inadvertently, their most intimate spaces. Oyindamola cleverly exploits this reality in short but punchy laugh-out-loud poems that use wit and humor to tell profound stories about her vibrant and memorable characters.

Dami Ajayi
Author of A Woman’s Body is Country and Affection & Other Accidents

Sharp, Short, and Sweet! Oyindamola’s ‘Face Me I Face You’ invites the reader into a vivid and sensory narrative poetry experience. With a range of exciting characters, Oyin has created a nostalgic page-turner and an ode to the city of Ibadan.

Tomi Adesina
Writer, The Wait

A wonderfully eclectic addition to Shoola's ever-expanding oeuvre, ‘Face Me I Face You’ is equal parts humor, heart, and homage. Rooted in a rich cultural parlance and a tapestry of familiar characters, Shoola makes magic of the mundane, presenting a witty, compelling portrait of modern Nigerian urbanity. There is nothing out there quite like it.

Kanyinsola Olorunnisola
Founder, Sprinng

Poetry can sometimes be too challenging to comprehend or too profound to enjoy, but definitely not in Oyindamola Shoola’s ‘Face Me I Face You.’ This witty and beautifully illustrated collection of poems offers a fresh perspective on a family living in a shared housing setup, where neighbors' lives intertwine in unexpected and often humorous ways. The book explores themes of family, tradition, and everyday dramas that most of us will easily recognize. From the bustling streets to intimate domestic moments, this collection celebrates resilience, community, and the indomitable spirit of its characters in a way that will leave most readers smiling.

S. Su'eddie Vershima Agema
Multiple Award-winning Author of Memory and the Call of Waters (Winner, Association of Nigerian Authors Poetry Prize 2022 and Finalist, Nigeria Prize for Literature 2022)

‘Face Me I Face You’ is a brilliant and outstanding collection that comments on social issues through its unique storytelling, characterization, delicate blend of language, refreshing humor, and satire. Drawing from life and culture, Oyindamola takes readers on an immersive experience that leaves them entertained and desiring more.

Ebukun Gbemisola Ogunyemi
York University

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