Bolu Babalola facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bolu Babalola
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Babalola in 2021
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| Born | 24 February 1991 Southwark, London, England |
| Occupation | Author, journalist, screenwriter |
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Bolu Babalola is a talented British Nigerian author, screenwriter, and journalist. She was born on February 24, 1991. Her first book, Love in Colour, came out in 2020. It quickly became a Sunday Times Bestseller, meaning lots of people bought it! In 2021, she was even featured on the Forbes 30 under 30 list for Media and Marketing in Europe, which highlights young, successful people.
Contents
Bolu Babalola's Early Life
Bolu Babalola was born in Guy's Hospital in Southwark, London. Her parents are from the Yoruba group in Nigeria. She grew up in East London. For her high school years, she attended Valentines High School in Ilford.
After high school, she went to the University of Reading. She earned a degree in Law there in 2012. Later, in 2018, she got a Master of Arts degree. This was from University College London. Her master's degree focused on American Politics and History.
Bolu Babalola's Career Journey
Bolu Babalola started her career in television. She worked as an assistant writer and producer for BBC Comedy. She helped create shows like The Javone Prince Show. She also worked on Tracey Ullman's Show.
She helped develop the web series Ackee & Saltfish. She was an assistant producer for its first episode. In 2020, she was working on a new TV show. This show was with Tiger Aspect. In 2016, she was recognized for her story "Netflix and Chill". It was shortlisted for a special prize.
Writing for Magazines
Babalola has written for many popular magazines. These include Vice and Vulture. She has also written for GQ and Cosmopolitan. Another magazine she wrote for is Stylist.
Love for Romantic Comedies
Bolu Babalola writes a column for Dazed magazine. She calls herself a "Romcomoisseur". This means she is an expert in romantic comedies. She loves watching them and knows a lot about them.
She has shared her favorite romantic comedies. These include Insecure and Brown Sugar. Other favorites are When Harry Met Sally and My Best Friend's Wedding. She also enjoys Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. Her list also includes Lovesick and New Girl. She also praised I May Destroy You by Michaela Coel.
She mentioned characters like Ashley Banks from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. She also liked Moesha from the show Moesha. She saw them as important examples of "just dark skin black girls living".
Her Own TV Show
On September 10, 2021, a new TV show premiered. It was called Big Age. Bolu Babalola wrote, created, and was an executive producer for this show. It aired on Channel 4.
A Viral Tweet
In 2018, Bolu Babalola sent a funny tweet. It had a picture of her and actor Michael B. Jordan. The picture was edited to look like they were together. She joked that she was looking for her "holiday romance." This tweet became very popular online. It was even shown on TV shows like Entertainment Tonight.
Later, Bolu Babalola actually met Michael B. Jordan. This happened when he was promoting a movie in London. She bravely stood up during a question-and-answer session. She said, "Hi, it's me, the love of your life." She said it was embarrassing, but he was very kind about it.
Bolu Babalola is also known for her humor on Twitter. She believes Twitter is a great place. It helps people, especially Black women, build a sense of community.
=Love in Colour Book
Bolu Babalola's first collection of stories is called Love in Colour. It was published in 2020. The book brings together old love stories. These tales come from Asia, Greece, and different parts of Africa. She rewrites them for today's readers. This includes stories from the Yoruba people before colonial times. It also features Orisha traditions and Ancient Soninke tales.
Babalola wanted the book to change how love stories are usually told. She hoped it would make them more diverse. She changed many stories to make the female characters stronger. She also wanted to show love and consent without suffering. It is important to her to write about and for Black women. She explained that white women often play romantic roles. They are seen as fun and independent. She wanted Black women to have their own romantic stories too.
Love in Colour was chosen as "book of the week" on November 13, 2020. It was featured on BBC2's book club show Between the Covers. Many other writers praised the book. These included Candice Carty-Williams and David Nicholls. Even Meg Cabot, an author Babalola admired growing up, loved the book. This made the success feel very real to her. The book has been translated into Dutch, German, and Portuguese (Brazil).
=Honey & Spice Book
In August 2020, Bolu Babalola started hinting about her next book. It was described as a romantic comedy set at a university. The story would be about an Afro-Caribbean Society. In this story, enemies become friends, and then they fall in love.
In January 2021, it was announced that she signed a deal. This deal was with Headline Review for Honey & Spice. It also included another book that didn't have a title yet. An American publisher, William Morrow and Company, bought the rights to publish it in North America. Honey & Spice was released in the summer of 2022.
