24/08/2026
✨ CELEBRATING ZOE MAYOKUN ALALADE: A YOUNG VOICE, A BOOK, A DREAM ✨
Yesterday, 23 August 2026, we celebrated a remarkable milestone in the life of our daughter, Zoe Mayokun Alalade, as she officially unveiled her debut chapbook, VIOLETS ON HORSES, BLUES IN WISHES, at Champions Place, Minna.
This is more than the launch of a book. It is the unveiling of a young voice that has been growing through imagination, creativity, courage, life experiences, emotions and dreams.
📖 VIOLETS ON HORSES, BLUES IN WISHES is a collection of poetry that captures Zoe’s journey as a young writer finding her voice and learning to express the world as she sees, feels and imagines it.
🎙️ HOW SPOKEN WORD SHAPED THE CHAPBOOK
Zoe’s development as an award-winning spoken-word artist has profoundly influenced the character of this chapbook.
Her experiences in spoken-word competitions, including HIASFEST 2022 and 2023 and Sage at Words 2025, together with public readings and performances, have taught her how to transform imagination, personal experiences and emotions into words that are vivid, relatable and memorable.
Spoken word taught her the power of rhythm, emphasis, storytelling and emotional expression—and that same expressive voice flows through the pages of this book.
The chapbook captures the courageous, creative and reflective voice she has developed on stage.
Some of the spoken-word experiences that helped shape her literary voice include her award-winning HIASFEST performances with Adaeze Dickson, as well as the poem she contributed to the anthology celebrating Professor Wole Soyinka’s 90th birthday.
Through opportunities such as the Hilltop Creative Arts Foundation’s “Write Your Own Book” programme, Zoe continued to develop the imagery, storytelling and poetic confidence that now find expression in Violets on Horses, Blues in Wishes.
🧪📚 WHEN SCIENCE MEETS POETRY
One of the beautiful things about Zoe’s journey is the way she embraces both science and poetry.
She is a dedicated science student with aspirations in medicine, while also being a poet and spoken-word artist who loves to “weave words into magic.”
Rather than seeing the two interests as opposites, Zoe allows them to complement each other.
Science feeds her curiosity, analytical thinking and desire to understand the world, while poetry gives her the freedom to explore imagination, emotions, dreams and human experiences.
She writes around her academic commitments, sometimes working on poems and performances late into the day, supported by her family and the creative community that has nurtured her talent.
💜 POETRY AS A PLACE TO BREATHE
For Zoe, poetry is also more than performance.
It has become a space for reflection, emotional expression and balance amid the demands of school and growing up.
Through writing and performing, she is able to process experiences, explore her dreams and transform pressure into creative energy.
In many ways, Violets on Horses, Blues in Wishes represents the coming together of creativity, courage, imagination and hard work.
🙏🏽 THANK YOU
Yesterday’s launch was made truly special by the presence, love and support of so many wonderful people.
We sincerely appreciate all the distinguished dignitaries, fathers and mothers, family members, friends, mentors, ministers, creatives, writers, poets, young people, colleagues, well-wishers and guests who honoured Zoe with their presence.
To everyone who travelled, called, sent messages, shared the event online, prayed for her, gave gifts, contributed in one way or another, or simply showed up to celebrate with us—thank you from the bottom of our hearts. ❤️
A very special thank you to everyone who launched the book and supported Zoe by purchasing copies at the launch. Your encouragement means so much and will undoubtedly inspire her to keep writing, creating and dreaming.
We are grateful to everyone who has played a part in Zoe’s journey so far.
Yesterday was not simply the celebration of a book.
It was the celebration of a journey.
A journey of a young girl who dared to write.
A young poet who found her voice.
A spoken-word artist who learned to make words come alive.
A student learning to balance science and creativity.
And a young dreamer courageous enough to put her imagination between the covers of a book.
Zoe, we are immensely proud of you. 💜
May this be only the beginning of many more pages, poems, stages, books and dreams.
🌍 THE BOOK WILL SOON BE AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE
For those who could not attend the launch and would love to read Zoe’s work, VIOLETS ON HORSES, BLUES IN WISHES will soon be available through online book-marketing platforms, making it possible for readers around the world to get a copy.
Physical copies will also be available for order through platforms such as Amazon and other major online book retailers. 📚🌍
We will share the official purchase links as soon as they are live.
The journey continues. The voice is only getting started. ✨💜
📖 VIOLETS ON HORSES, BLUES IN WISHES
✍🏽 By Zoe Mayokun Alalade
✨ A new voice. Real stories. Violets in every season.
