The Muse Series: Sappho Nigeria

Pink Sappho Presents: The Muse Series with Tofunmi

Some may wonder how a Sapphic social club, based in Chicago, comes across a quiet writer tucked in the neighborhood of Ikeja, Nigeria.

Well… instagram. 

Tofunmi and I were not exactly on track to cross paths, until we just did. 

Prior to an impromptu trip to Nigeria for a wedding, I browsed online for queer events and found nothing less than a community of sapphics hidden behind a page called Hibiscus events.

When I began this creative series, I dreamt of discovering Sapphic muses across the world. People whose stories and artistry spark something deeper than conversation. This scary and seemingly impossible idea shone brightly to me. I was unsure about its execution but I had to try.

Nigeria’s homophobia and criminalization of same sex marriage made the search of a queer scene difficult so i didn’t end up locking down a night out but I did find something far more meaningful: A creative presence and eventually, our Nigerian muse. Tofunmi. 

When I found her hidden amongst the followers of Hibiscus events, with a connection to a writer's foundation in her bio, it felt like alignment. 

The Muse 

Her connection to Pink Sappho doesn't start with a simple greeting. She had been honing her skills and form of self expression long before we came into the picture.

Publishing her first book at age thirteen, writing short stories and reflections inspired by the complex range of human emotion. Tofunmi writes whatever sparks inspiration: the human experience itself. 

Now we have the honor of sharing her voice with our global Sapphic audience. 

Our Muse carries memories of her childhood through her work, moving through Magodo, Maryland, and Opebi, three neighborhoods that shaped her distinct ways. 

Magodo: quiet and suburban streets, ideal for family homes. 

Maryland: hummed with the rhythm of one of Nigeria’s largest markets, a city where the bridges and industrialism rose above the bustle. 

Opebi: a town alive with youthful ambition and the casual cluck of chickens throughout the day . 

Each neighborhood left an impact and would later echo in her stories. 

When her father published her first novella, Nowhere to Run. With the warmth of a supportive family behind her, writing became more than a hobby; it became a lifeline, a way to process emotions too heavy to carry alone.  

“Storytelling is a form of journaling,” she said. “It helps me express my thoughts properly and make sense of them.” 

But early recognition also came with its own weight. After her first book, the questions rolled in: 

What next? When is the next book? 

Pressure clouded her creativity, and for a while she found herself at a standstill. Cue writer's block. 

The journey since then has been about releasing those expectations and returning to writing on her own terms. 

“Now when people ask,” she says, “I tell them I don't have an answer right now.” 

Breaking through that block meant transforming her relationship with trauma. Rather than avoiding it, she began weaving fragments of her experiences into stories, adding twists, shaping them into something larger than memory. This act of dramatic storytelling became a way to both confront and free herself from the weight of the past. 

Where she once strived for long novels, she now embraces brevity.

“I realized I don't need many words to express my message.”

Compact and deliberate short stories became her art form. With fewer words, her writing strikes sharper, more precise chords. 

Three Pillars of Practice: 

Authentic connection. Through sharing her stories, Tofunmi builds bridges. 

“Storytelling brings relatability,” she reflects. Her words allow others to see themselves mirrored in her work. 

Wellness. Writing has been her compass in difficult times, a way to anchor emotions and bring order to a chaotic mind. It is less about output, more about presence: connecting to herself through the act of writing. 

Education: Each story invites her to understand how trauma, grief, and sorrow shape human lives. She examines how these feelings manifest, highlighting experiences often left unspoken. Call it emo, but it's her style.  

In Tofunmi, we see a muse who embodies the resilience of Nigerian storytelling. One that transforms pain into beauty, and solitude into connection. She reminds us that writing does not need to be long to be lasting. Sometimes, the most profound truths live in just a few lines. 

In short, you will not be getting another book from Tofunmi unless she wills it; instead, just fragments of her mind: maybe in a few sentences, maybe in a few pages. 

Despite Nigeria’s refusal to acknowledge us, we exist, and we are creative. 

The Capture: Inspiration of our cover image

When capturing the essence of a muse, I stick to the first image that comes to mind.

Inspired by Nigerian culture, I remembered the phrase: “Omo Eleshín”, child of a horse rider. 

The Yoruba people often associate this with a lineage of horse riders and free spirits. An image on a horse only seemed appropriate. 

So we journeyed to Elegushi beach on a windy Wednesday with one goal in mind: capture the essence of Tofunmi’s culture without restraint. And we did just that. 

No cameraman, just an iPhone, two sapphics and the support of my dad.  No chase of perfection. No plan, just full faith that whatever needed to happen would. 

I hope I’ve beaten all allegations of being type A after another unplanned shoot on a different continent.