Felicia Olusanya
Poet, Performer and Playwright
Felicia Olusanya, aka Felispeaks, is a Nigerian-Irish poet, performer and playwright from Co. Longford. Felicia loves to explore different art forms and ways of working. She creates vivid poetry and performance pieces that engage and inspire audiences.
In our conversation, Felicia tells us how she was inspired by her primary school teacher and why being ‘anxious with inspiration’ is a key part of her creative process.
We hope you enjoy!
Some teacher reflection questions
Becoming a ‘ravenous reader’ | 00.00 - 06.20
As a child, Felicia was inspired to express her ideas through language. She became a ‘ravenous reader’ as a teenager and enjoyed a wide range of fiction, especially stories with magical settings. Her 5th Class teacher encouraged her to enter poetry competitions.
Q. What did you enjoy reading at this age? Did you have favourite authors, like Felicia?
Q. What do you prefer—reading a story or listening to a story being read to you?
Q. Can you remember any inspirational teachers from your own schooldays?
Creative Process | 08.28 - 12.05
Felicia develops her ideas for poems by thinking of feelings, then associated objects, and forms the words into a shape on the page.
Q. How do you capture your ideas for writing poetry?
Q. Do you think Felicia’s process would work for you and your students?
Making Poetry Connect | 22.00 - 24.15
To support young people’s greater engagement in poetry, Felicia suggests that as well as reading poems in books, they could also view video clips of poems being performed.
Q. What do you think of this idea? How have you engaged your students in poetry? What poets and poems do you and your students enjoy?