The Laureate Conversation

In this episode of The Laureate Conversation, Mariam Obaijoko speaks with Syndia A. Payne, the Jamaican author, educator and storyteller behind How I Became a Cowgirl: One Woman's Journey with Rare Migraine Disease, the book that earned her The Africa Laureate Award. Syndia's memoir grows out of more than twenty years of living with a rare and often misunderstood neurological illness. But How I Be...

What happens when a mother decides to follow her daughters into the unknown? In this episode of The Laureate Conversation Podcast, host Mariam Obaijoko sits down with Meg Stafford, the 2026 Africa Laureate Award winner for Best Autobiography or Memoir - Family & Identity, to talk about her award-winning memoir, Who Will Accompany You? My Mother-Daughter Journeys Far From Home and Close to the Hear...

At age 60, Barry Finlay climbed Africa's tallest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro and that experience became the inspiration for a remarkable writing journey built around courage, resilience, and the decision to keep moving when the climb gets difficult. In this exclusive episode of The Laureate Conversation, host Mariam Obaijoko sits down with The Africa Laureate Award-winning author to talk about his...

From turning a simple idea into a thriving business to helping others build careers through service, Clementina Busayo has redefined what it means to be an entrepreneur in the event industry. In today's exclusive episode of The Laureate Conversation Podcast, host Mariam Obaijoko sits down with The Africa Laureate Award-winning author to discuss the inspiration behind her acclaimed book, Profitable...

Join us on The Laureate Conversation, the official podcast of The Africa Laureate Awards, as award-winning author Courtney Sharpe shares the inspiration behind his amazing book, How to Survive in Babylon. In this exclusive author spotlight interview, Sharpe explores the meaning of "Babylon," the importance of self-awareness, critical thinking, strategic living, resilience, and why knowing yourself...

What does it actually mean to belong in a world that feels constantly divided? In this episode of The Laureate Conversation Podcast, Mariam Obaijoko sat down with The Africa Laureate Award-winning author Alison Jessica Weihe-a South African author, entrepreneur, and former anti-apartheid political activist. Alison joins us for a conversation about her powerful debut memoir, Belonging: Finding Trib...

If you’ve ever had to handle a crying child on their first day of school, or if you remember that terrifying pit in your stomach when leaving home for the first time, then you already know the magic of The Kissing Hand. In today's episode of The Laureate Conversation, we sat down with the legendary Audrey Penn. She’s the creator of Chester Raccoon and the author behind a #1 New York Times bestsell...

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 colle...

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, chill...

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...

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 mo...

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 alre...

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...

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.