Damilola Oyedeji (Ariella)

Damilola Oyedeji is a Nigerian poet, essayist, and literary critic. Her work explores intersectional discourses in Medical and Health Humanities, including trauma, disability, memory, resilience, violence, illnesses, and bodies.

She is the author of the forthcoming chapbook Blue Scapes, with Thirty West Publishing House, PA. Damilola emerged as the runner-up of the Annual Bridgette Poetry Competition and is a Best of the Net nominee. She is also a recipient of the 2026 William Walker Excellence in Critical Writing Award and the 2025 Robert Henigan Critical Essay Award.

Her work has appeared in Hellbender Magazine, LLIDS Journal, Lolwe, Orange Blossom Review, The Shallow Tales Review, Brittle Paper, The Nigeria Review, Talon Review, Belfast Review, Poetry Journal, the Sprinng Writing Fellowship 2023 Anthology, and elsewhere.

A past fellow of the Sprinng Writing Fellowship herself, Damilola mentors emerging writers in creative nonfiction through the fellowship. She is a PhD student in Creative Writing at Texas Tech University and holds a master's degree in English from Missouri State University.