Storytelling has always been at the heart of Toyin Akanni’s journey. Growing up in Nigeria, some of her earliest memories are of listening to her elders tell stories during power cuts,moments that revealed how stories can educate, comfort, and bring people together.

That love for storytelling stayed with her, even as life led her down a more conventional path. After relocating to the UK, Toyin studied Geology and later earned a master’s degree in Environmental Science. What once felt like a move away from creativity later became the foundation for meaningful, purpose-driven education work. Years later, during a season shaped by uncertainty, health scares, and seeming setbacks, Toyin returned to her first love. Motherhood and the global pause of the pandemic gave her space to reflect, leading her to study Creative Writing at the University of Cambridge and reclaim the creative voice she had set aside.