Tomilola Coco Adeyemo grew up in Ibadan. She attended the Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Dramatic Arts and the sheer audacity to pursue writing as a career. She found early success in Nollywood with credits on hit TV shows, documentaries and Nigeria’s first feature-length animation. Tomilola lives in Lagos Nigeria and her interests include but are not limited to old music, sitcoms, coffee, amala & ewedu and all things romance.
Haneefah: What influenced your choice to write a romantic comedy for your debut novel?
Tomilola: I wanted to write a festive love story and those are best with humour and heartwarming moments.
Haneefah: How do you manage Humour and emotions in your writing, especially romantic comedy?
Tomilola:I enjoy comedies; dramedy, sitcoms, stand-up, etc. Naturally, the things I consume are reflected in my writing. The trick is to find a balance between humour and other elements in the story that’s being told and let the characters do the rest.
Haneefah: Do you consider escapist literature healthy for facing reality and being able to give tips on tackling challenges?
Tomilola:I believe as a storyteller/creative, my job is to create art as authentically as possible, and as Tomilola Coco Adeyemo or Tomilola Adeyemo, I aim to ensure that my art doesn’t take my audience for granted and doesn’t waste their time. That said, escapism doesn’t equal departure from reality, it’s a break from it.
Haneefah: If you were to give another title to your novel apart from A VERY GIDI CHRISTMAS, what other title would it be?
Tomilola: It will still be A Very Gidi Christmas. I thought that one through.
Haneefah: How were you able to manage Biodun’ Trauma and mental health in reflection to reality?
Tomilola: Biodun is a strong woman. Yes she has been through a lot and you can see how the trauma reflects in how she’s navigating life but the beauty about BG is that she is a problem solver, she doesn’t let anything stop her from reaching her goal. This is a woman that owes her landlord, has major challenges at work and still has to deal with big problems rearing their heads from the past and she figures it out and isn’t afraid to lean into the support and love that those around her offer her.
Haneefah: What part of the book is your life most related to? Why?
Tomilola: Nothing really. Asides the fact that I grew up in Ibadan and after almost a decade of living in Lagos, I still look at it with the eyes of an outsider.
Haneefah: How has your romantic history influenced your writing?
Tomilola: I will say ten percent. But as a creative, you get inspiration from everywhere — a story on social media, a story of a friend of a friend, film, TV. The list is endless.
Haneefah: What is the writing process of the character Kunle and why did you feel the need to make him imperfect before he became the almost perfect lover?
Tomilola: Perfect characters make for boring stories. It’s important to me to create characters with flaws just as we humans are and take them on a journey of growth. Kunle (like my other characters) is flawed and we see his growth through the ways he surmounted the challenges he faces in the story. It helps us to root for him, cheer him up just like we would the regular people in our lives.
Haneefah: The chemistry between Kunle and Biodun is intense. What is your approach to creating the believable chemistry between them ?
Tomilola: We’ve all experienced people in relationships around us/in real life. I tend to borrow some moments from the real life relationships I have seen and apply them to my fictional couples. And while I borrow, I do not lose the essence of my fictional couples.
Haneefah: Fame often comes with a hefty price tag – and that price includes scandals. For Kunle and Biodun, a traumatic experience from their youth haunted them into adulthood. So, how can someone navigate the inevitable scandals that come with fame and truly move past them?
Tomilola: I think we can learn from Kunle and Biodun in that they come together to fight their common enemy in their own way. While theirs is quite unusual and not an everyday solution, I think what stood out for me was their acceptance of their present reality and facing the problems head on. This is something we can all apply to real life — famous or not. And I think that’s my favourite thing about them as a couple.
Haneefah: Motherhood embodies the dual roles of ‘career’ and ‘carer’. However, do you believe society has fully embraced the idea that women can successfully balance their caregiving responsibilities with their professional ambitions?
Tomilola: I don’t think any modern society has fully embraced the idea that women are fully capable of being whatever they want. America which is widely considered a developed nation reversed abortion rights in many of its states in 2022. In Nigeria, to this day, there are many laws and beliefs that still limit a woman’s agency. We’re not there yet but with every fight, strive, and determination, we will.
Haneefah: Biodun’s heartfelt December prayer in A VERY GIDI CHRISTMAS resonated deeply with my friend and I am sure with many readers as well. As the year comes to a close, we’re curious to know: what are your personal December wishes?”
Tomilola: The African and millennial in me will not share my personal December wishes, but I think we all want to be happy and that governs all of our wishes.
Haneefah: Apart from romantic comedy, what other genre do you enjoy?
Tomilola: I enjoy all subgenres of romance. I also love writing comedies and as a screenwriter, some of my favourite works to write are sitcoms.
Haneefah: What is the worst and best writing advice you have ever received?
Tomilola: I ‘d say my favourite writing advice is ‘Just write.’ It’s a good one. Write. Put words down. And worry about all the issues in your rewrite.
Haneefah: What do you hope resonates with readers long after they finish reading A VERY GIDI CHRISTMAS? What impact do you aspire to leave on their perspectives on love, family, and the human experience, especially during the holiday season?
Tomilola: I hope they enjoy the story and remember that true love neither stresses nor diminishes. And miracles really do happen.
Haneefah: What are you currently working on?
Tomilola: I am working on a lot of new things, but I guess you will have to wait because what is the fun in spilling the beans now?
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Haneefah Abdulrahman is a second class upper graduate of English Literature from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. She is a Writer, an editor, an Interviewer, a content creator, an arts event planner, a Spoken Poetry Artist and a Podcaster. She is a 2021 fellow of Ebedi International Writers Residency, Oyo State, a Pioneer Fellow of Imodoye Writers Residency, Kwara State and she was a Columnist at DailyTrust Newspaper. She is the Author of Shades of Becoming (a collection of short stories). She is the 2021 Winner of The Arewa Rising Literary Star. She has edited and curated books including anthologies. She also does freelancing writing for tech companies and others.
She is the Chairperson of Kaduna Branch Hill-Top Creative Arts Foundation. She was the 2021 – 2023 Chairperson of the Creative Writers’Club , A.B.U Zaria. Right from her first year in school, she has been a very dedicated member of the Club. She was the Treasurer in her second year and held the position of being the Financial Secretary and Editor 1 in her third year. The Creative Writers’ Club is known to be qualitative in picking their officials. She is also an arts administrator. She has organized many literary events including the Nigerian Poetry Festival.
Haneefah is the Editor-in-chief of Literature Voices (LITVO). She served as an Editorial assistant for The Moveee Magazine. She was shortlisted as one of the 30 Contemporary Women Poets to read by Poetry Column-NND in Nigerian News Direct. She was named YELF ARTIST OF THE MONTH, November Edition 2020. She was the 2019/2020 Business Head of Eagle’s View Tour and a Delegate for Conference Leadership Training of A.B.U for all ENACTUS Schools in Nigeria which qualified me as a Project Head. She has been invited as Guest Speaker, Judge and Panelist to Arts events like Benue Book and Arts Festival, Taraba State Schools Festival, National Library of Nigeria Readership Campaign, Yasmin El-rufai Foundation and more.
Over the past years, she has gained ample experience in the field of writing, public speaking, art events planning and organizing, researching and undertaking projects.
She is someone who is hard working, persistent, consistent, always ready to take challenges and learn new things.
You can reach her via abdulrahmanhanifah2017@gmail.com
