The Laureate Conversation

What does a retired Disaster Emergency Management director do next? If you are Betty Nadine Thomas, you pack up your life, move to Portugal, and dedicate yourself to writing and illustrating poetry that heals the planet.In this episode of The Laureate Conversation Podcast, we are chatting with the wonderful Betty Nadine Thomas about her award-winning book, Peepers Peeping. It is a beautiful collection of poetry designed for kids of all ages and honestly, it's just as much of a treat for the adults reading it to them. We talk about how she uses simple, rhythmic verse and her own illustrations to teach acceptance, open narrow minds, and spread genuine compassion across cultures, religions, and backgrounds.

In today’s episode of The Laureate Conversation, we sat down with award-winning author Adesanya ‘Pelumi’ Ayomide, the brilliant mind behind the psychological thriller Saints Don’t Moan. If you've ever felt the pressure to keep up appearances while dealing with total chaos beneath the surface, this conversation is going to hit close to home.Pelumi’s debut novella takes us inside the private, chilling journal entries of Kiki Cole, someone who looks absolutely flawless to the public but is harboring a dark, complex inner world. We talk about the exhausting friction between public virtue and private reality, and why we try so hard to hide our true desires.

What happens when we stop apologising for how we feel? In this deeply moving episode of The Laureate Conversation Podcast, we sit down with British-Nigerian author and advocate Jessica Aike to discuss her award-winning book, This Thing in My Head.Jessica’s journey is one of radical honesty. From her childhood in Lagos to her life in London, she has spent over a decade using her voice to dismantle the culture of silence that often surrounds trauma, child abuse, and cultural expectations. Her book is a stream-of-consciousness guide to reclaiming your power and navigating the messy, beautiful path to self-actualisation.

What happens when a photographer and a designer-model meets in the worst way possible only to end up in a love nest neither of them saw coming? In today’s episode of The Laureate Conversation Podcast, we are discussing the lush, affluent, and faith-filled world of Picture Us. Join our host, Mariam Obaijoko, as she sits down with the multi-talented author, Chizaram Ekeke. She’s a screenwriter, a movie director, a registered nurse, and the brilliant mind behind one of this year’s most charming Christian romances.

We spend our whole lives searching for peace, only to find out we’ve been sitting on it the entire time. In today’s episode of The Laureate Conversation, we sit down with Amsterdam-based author and philosopher Alexander den Heijer—the first Dutch author to be honored by The Africa Laureate Awards. Not only does Alexander write about spiritual goals, he writes about the quiet reality of who we already are. If you’ve ever felt like you’re constantly becoming someone else or searching for a version of yourself that’s just out of reach, this episode is for you.

What happens when the people the world tries to hide become the only ones who can save it? In today’s episode, our host, Mariam Obaijoko sat down with the Africa Laureate award-winning author, Abiose Falade, a powerhouse disabilities advocate and the brain behind the haunting new epic, The Lost Souls: Chronicles of the Undesirables.Abiose didn’t just write about heroes, she redefined what a hero looks like. Her novel takes us deep into Omoke—a village filled with akudaya (the restless undead) and hidden by a malevolent force. To save the village, a group labeled as undesirables must step into a mission no one else can handle.

In today’s episode of The Laureate Conversation podcast, we sat down with The Africa Laureate Award-winning author and spoken word artist Oluwatunmise Elliot. We talked about her debut book, Who Am I?, and the story of Irawooluwa—a character who has to stumble, fall, and eventually fight her way out of conformity to find her true purpose.