Sola Soyele
Founder, TheGoodFelo
Writer • Literary Advocate • Community Builder
Sola Soyele is a Nigerian writer, literary advocate, and the founder of TheGoodFelo (TGF) — a creative community dedicated to discovering, celebrating, and nurturing young African storytellers. Since founding TheGoodFelo in January 2020, Sola has committed his voice, resources, and leadership to solving a problem he understands deeply: the under-recognition and under-support of young writers in Africa.
A Writer Before Anything Else
TheGoodFelo was born from both personal disappointment and collective need.
In 2015, Sola submitted his first long prose work, The Mild Torn, to an international Writers' Prize. As an emerging writer who didn't make it to the shortlist, what followed was not just silence, but absence — an alarming scarcity of accessible, credible literary opportunities for young writers in Nigeria and across Africa.
That gap became the seed of TheGoodFelo.
Sola does not believe literature exists in isolation. He believes reading shapes lives and writing clarifies thought. In a world that celebrates athletes, scientists, and innovators, he believes artists, especially writers, must not be left behind.
Through TheGoodFelo, he set out to build what he once searched for:
Why TheGoodFelo Exists
TheGoodFelo was born from both personal disappointment and collective need.
In 2015, Sola submitted his first long prose work, The Mild Torn, to an international Writers' Prize. As an emerging writer who didn't make it to the shortlist, what followed was not just silence, but absence — an alarming scarcity of accessible, credible literary opportunities for young writers in Nigeria and across Africa.
That gap became the seed of TheGoodFelo.
Sola does not believe literature exists in isolation. He believes reading shapes lives and writing clarifies thought. In a world that celebrates athletes, scientists, and innovators, he believes artists, especially writers, must not be left behind.
Through TheGoodFelo, he set out to build what he once searched for:
Impact & Leadership
Under Sola’s leadership, TheGoodFelo has grown into a respected literary platform, hosting the TheGoodFelo Young Writers Awards (TYWA) — an annual flagship competition that has spotlighted dozens of emerging African writers. The organisation also runs community-driven prizes like the ReadWorthy Prize, reinforcing the belief that literature gains meaning through both artistic merit and reader connection.
Sola defines success differently.
For him, success is not profit-driven. It is measured one writer at a time, one story at a time. Every submission encouraged, every voice amplified, every young writer who dares to keep going — these are the metrics that matter.
Sola believes that standing up for what you believe in often begins with standing up for others who need inspiration. He remains commited to championing young writers, honouring storytelling, and building a lasting literary ecosystem in Africa. This work, to Sola, is not a phase. It is a calling.
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