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 (born 24 February 1991) is a British Nigerian author, screenwriter, and journalist. Her first book, Love in Colour, came out in 2020. It quickly became a bestseller on Sunday Times list. In 2021, she was named one of the "Forbes 30 Under 30" for Media and Marketing in Europe. This award recognizes young people doing amazing things in their fields.
Contents
About Bolu Babalola
Early Life and Education
Bolu Babalola was born in Southwark, London, England. Her parents are from the Yoruba group in Nigeria. She grew up in East London.
She went to Valentines High School for her final years of high school. Later, she studied law at the University of Reading, finishing in 2012. She also earned a master's degree in American Politics and History from University College London in 2018.
Starting Her Career
Babalola began her career working for BBC Comedy. She helped write and produce shows like The Javone Prince Show and Tracey Ullman's Show. She also helped create the web series Ackee & Saltfish.
She has written articles for many popular magazines. These include Vice, Vulture, GQ, Cosmopolitan, and Stylist.
Love for Romantic Comedies
Babalola is a big fan of romantic comedies, often calling herself a "Romcomoisseur." She writes about TV and movies for Dazed magazine. Some of her favorite romantic comedies include Insecure, Brown Sugar, When Harry Met Sally, and New Girl.
She also praised Michaela Coel's show I May Destroy You. Babalola has highlighted the importance of seeing Black girls in romantic roles. She mentioned characters like Ashley Banks from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air as great examples.
TV Show: Big Age
Bolu Babalola created, wrote, and was an executive producer for the TV show Big Age. This show first aired on Channel 4 on September 10, 2021.
Viral Tweet and Michael B. Jordan
In 2018, Babalola posted a funny tweet with a picture of herself and actor Michael B. Jordan. She joked that she was looking for her "holiday romance." The tweet became very popular online. It was even shown on TV shows like Entertainment Tonight.
Later, Babalola actually met Michael B. Jordan in London. She bravely introduced herself at an event, saying, "Hi, it's me, the love of your life." She said he was very kind about it. Babalola also uses Twitter to build a community, especially for Black women.
Books by Bolu Babalola
Love in Colour
Bolu Babalola's first book, Love in Colour, was published in 2020. It is a collection of short stories. The book retells old love stories from places like Asia, Greece, and Africa. It includes tales from the Yoruba and Ancient Soninke traditions.
Babalola wanted to make these stories fresh for new readers. She also aimed to show love in a way that gives more power to female characters. She believes it's important to write about and for Black women in romantic stories.
Love in Colour was featured as "book of the week" on BBC2's Between the Covers in November 2020. Other famous writers like Candice Carty-Williams and Meg Cabot have praised the book. It has been translated into Dutch, German, and Portuguese.
Honey & Spice
In August 2020, Babalola started hinting about her next book. It was described as a romantic comedy set at a UK university. The story follows enemies who become friends and then fall in love.
In January 2021, it was announced that she signed a deal for this book, called Honey & Spice. It was published in the summer of 2022.
