KNUST medical student and rising poet shares his journey, inspirations, and the catharsis of words.

Sylvester Kwakye isn't your typical final-year medical student. While immersed in the rigors of his studies at KNUST, he's also carving a significant space in the literary world. As the author of multiple micro-chapbooks and a full collection, and with a new work forthcoming, Sylvester seamlessly blends the precision of medicine with the profound expression of poetry. We sat down with him to explore the man behind the verses.

The Poet behind the name

"My name is Sylvester Kwakye, a final-year medical student and poet... Poetry offers a kind of catharsis that is so transformative."

Sylvester is the author of the micro-chapbooks "Ode to My Clinical Rotation" (Ghost City Press, 2024) and "How to Merchandise Crime" (Stripes Literary Magazine, 2024). His self-published collection, “Flying From Nectar to Hive” (2023), showcases his evolving voice, and his latest micro-chapbook, "Valentine's Day Travelog", is forthcoming with Whittle Micro-Press (USA). Beyond writing, he contributes to the literary community as a poetry reader for Rowayat Journal and a curatorial intern with Nenta Literary Journal. His work has graced the pages of esteemed publications like Callaloo, Passionfruit Review, and The Amistad.

Interviewer: What inspired you to do poetry and book writing?

Sylvester: The excessive need to say something, to get something, and to see something done. Poetry offers a kind of catharsis that is so transformative, it changes the person you ought to have become because of bad events, and more so, it changes the world of your readers, too.

Interviewer: Who or what are your biggest literary influences, and how do they shape your work?

Sylvester: I think at some point in life, our soul yearns for its language, and it is at this point that one can become a poet with minimal effort. I went through some ordeals in 2022, and a friend [Adonai] sent me poems by Rudyard Kipling, Edmund Van Cooke, and Robert Frost to inspire me. These poems had the earliest impact on my writing; they were my first drive to write poetry. Later on, I met Gabriel Mainoo (my mentor), Adesiyan Oluwapelumi, and other wonderful poets whom I turned to for further development, either through their published works or constructive dialogues.

Interviewer: How do your personal experiences or cultural background inform your writing?

Sylvester: Poetry is a form of talk therapy, so I take the opportunity to discuss all my experiences in my writing. Most, if not all, of my writing is centered around myself, my family, and my country.

Interviewer: Can you walk us through your writing process for a poem versus a book? How do they differ?

Sylvester: Writing a poem and a book follows the same route: brainstorm, write, edit, re-edit. Working on a poetry book, however, is more demanding and difficult because you’re writing so many poems around similar themes.

Interviewer: How do you overcome writer’s block?

Sylvester: I’ve to be honest, I have not had writer’s block since I started writing, but I’ve had circumstances that impeded writing so many times. Medical school, yes, medical school. The schedule is so packed, and sometimes it makes me stop writing.

Interviewer: What themes do you find yourself returning to in your poetry?

Sylvester: Family, marriage, hospital life, and politics.

Interviewer: Politics? Interesting. Are you interested in it?

Sylvester: Umm, yeah. If something is appalling in the country that I’ve to call attention to, then I will. If something is worthy of praise, I sure will poem it out. So yes, I, too, am that political animal.

Interviewer: How do you handle feedback or criticism from readers or critics?

Sylvester: Every great writer will tell you that if you hate criticism, then writing isn’t your field. I listen to every one of them, I give some a night's thought, and I bin some. I cannot work with everything, but at least the constructive few, I bag them for my growth.

Interviewer: Can you tell us about your latest work? What inspired it?

Sylvester: My latest work is “Valentine’s Day Travelog.” The inspiration came from my mom and her life as a single mother.

Interviewer: Do you ever experiment with other creative mediums, like music or visual art, alongside your writing?

Sylvester: No, I don’t. I’ve written a few hymns before because it employs pastoral poetry, but it’s not something I’m working on greatly (it’s a once-in-a-while kind of thing).

Interviewer: What advice would you give to aspiring poets or writers starting their journey?

Sylvester: Go all out for it. The world needs more poets and writers. Read contemporary writers and learn more about writing. You can join the Kumasi Writing Cohort (KWC) organized by the Archipelago to get a head start in your writing career. I am the regional head of KWC, so I’ll be there to support you.

Interviewer: If you could have a conversation with any writer from the past, who would it be and why?

Sylvester: Khalil Gibran or Charles Bukowski. Gibran, because his works were filled with so much wisdom. I want to know how he planned his work out before writing them. Bukowski, because I want to understand how he made pain and misery look so nice in writing. I love their styles.

Interviewer: Thank you, Sly. KNUST is proud of you, and it was having you.

Sylvester: Right, thank you so much for the opportunity. God bless you.