Picture- "The Gods..." rehearsals 

In the picture, Cast members of "The Gods are not to Blame", Ola Rotimi's adaptation of the Oedipus Complex tragedy, run through their cues at rehearsals. "The Gods" is this year's drama presentation in the Annual Muson Arts Festival and features tested thespians such as Lekan Balogun, Ombo Gogo Ombo, Ayo Orobiyi, Lanre Dele-Abrahams, Toyin James, Dewale Ajakaiye, Jennifer Osammor, Kenneth Uphopho, Osagie Okedigun, Sola Iwaotan, Olarotimi Michaels, Paul Alumona and Bayo Ogundele among many others. It will be directed by Wole Oguntokun and will be staged on Saturday the 28th of October. Tickets for the 3pm Matinee will cost N500 for Students and N1,000 for Adults while the evening show at 6pm will go for a flat rate of N1,500. 

UNIVERSITY OF HERTFORDSHIRE WRITING AWARD1)http://perseus. herts.ac. uk/uhinfo/ extrel/uharts/ awards.cfm


NO ENTRY FEE


Entrants are invited to submit a short story of up to3,500 words on the theme of 'vision'. 1st prize£1,000, 2nd prize £500, 3rd prize £300, 4th prize£200. The winner will also be able to apply for the UHWriting Award three-year scholarship to the Universityof Hertfordshire, study commencing in 2007.


The top twenty stories will be published in an anthology by the University of Hertfordshire Press. Deadlineanuary 15,2007.

• 2) CommonTies would pay $200 for personal stories orstories about people that are compelling. There is noneed to use real names. Sample stories are in theirwebsite: http://www.commonties.com/about.php
  

• 3) OV Books Announces Its Third Title!
  OV Books, the book imprint of Other Voices magazine (and publisher of the acclaimed short story collection SIMPLIFY by Tod Goldberg), will consider short fiction submissions for its third book, a cross-cultural anthology titled A STRANGER AMONG US. The book will be distributed by University of Illinois Press and will be released in late 2007. A STRANGER AMONG US will focus on stories of cross-cultural collisions/bonds, encompassing a wide variety of ethnicities, races and nationalities.

Any work that tells the story of what happens when a member of one culture finds him/herself in relationship with members of an "other" culture is eligible. (Jhumpa Lahiri's "The Third and Final Continent" would be an excellent example of this theme.)

Other, hypothetical examples of plots might include:

* A Brit living in Thailand
* A Native-American college student at an Ivy League university
* An African-American family moves to an all-Caucasian suburb
* A gay man on a dominantly heterosexual sports team
* A wedding brings together a Latino family and a Jewish family
* A Muslim academic goes to the American South for a conference
* A Nigerian woman and African-American man meet on Match.com

The sky is the limit! Writers of all ethnicities and races are eligible. Writers do not need to be of the same "group" as the characters they are writing about; the only critereon is excellence of the fiction submitted. Writers should avoid "editorializing" or political preaching in their stories, and focus on the dynamics of character and plot, letting the cultural issues rise organically from the material.
OV Books will read submissions from June 1 to December 31, 2006.

No entry fee. Enclose SASE for response only. One story per writer, unless invited to submit more work. No emailed submissions, please. 8,000 word limit. Previously published pieces are eligible.

Mail to:
OV Books
Department of English (MC 162)
601 S. Morgan Street
Chicago, IL 60607
Inquires should be directed to othervoices@listserv.uic.edu

The British Council is once again joining with the BBC World Service to launch the International Radio Playwriting Competition 2007. Below are details of the said competition.

BBC International Playwriting Competition

About the Competition
Applicants are invited to write a radio play of about sixty minutes on any subject of their choice. The play must be the original, unpublished work of the person or persons submitting it. The contest is open to any writer who is not normally a resident of the United Kingdom. The play must be written in English but can be translated by a third party, although there is no financial assistance available to help with any translation costs. Translated work must be identified as such, and the translator’s name given.

Prizes

There are two main prizes given: to the best play written in English as a first language and to the best play written in English as a second language. The two prize winners will each receive £2500 sterling and a trip to London to see their plays being recorded and to attend a prize-giving evening. There are also additional prizes of digital or short wave radios being given for the best radio play to be written from each of the following geographical areas: The Americas; Europe; Africa and the Middle East; South Asia; Russia and the Caucasus; Asia and Pacific. All writers whose plays reach the judges' final shortlist will receive BBC goodie bags as well as getting feedback on their plays from the BBC’s team of professional readers.

Competition launch overseas

The competition launches 30th October 2006, with the closing date for applications 30th April 2007. Application forms will be available for download on www.bbcworldservice.com/competitions and www.britishcouncil.org/arts from 30 October 2006. Submissions and application forms can be emailed to intradioplaycomp@bbc.co.uk or submitted at any British Council office near you.

I have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.



I haven't blogged in more than a week.



It wasn't my fault, my USB Converter for my dial-up to the internet (I'm Nigerian, I don't have broadband at home) was faulty. It took me a while to change it, and when I finally did, it refused to hook up to the modem.

So here I am at a cyber-cafe, looking over my shoulder every minute to see there's no one attempting to steal info from my in-box. And also worrying whether Ribadu (That's the head-honcho for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission) might send his men to storm this cafe and cart me off as one of those who send spam-mail to Europe and America looking for dupes. Yep! They storm cafes now, carting off those with regular business as well as the 419ers. Using Cyber Cafes overnight is illegal in Nigeria now. And so even though it is broad daylight, I write at my peril. I hope to sort the USB thingy today.



In the interim (Excuse the pun)-

• I have MCeed at a wedding where Ernest Shonekan, Head of State of the Interim Government was Chairman and who had as companions on the High Table, Presidential Hopeful, Pat Utomi as well as the not so hopeful Chief Segun Osoba, former Governor of Ogun State. It was my Sister's wedding actually. I found out what my father had meant to him as a youth. I'll never be able to call him names again.

• I have been a guest at the LNG $20,000 award for Nigerian Literature at the Muson Centre which Ahmed Yerima won and where security had to force out a young man who had downed a glass orange juice and then of wine in rapid succession, and immediately proceeded to tear the French 'Stick' loaves as if he was beheading a chicken for some ancient sacrifice. Why am I mentioning him? I'd seen him at my sister's wedding (at the Yoruba Tennis Club) a couple of hours earlier where he was already drunk and had told someone who'd collided with him in the crowded venue that "I will stab you". The future of Nigeria? He looked normal, wore a bow tie and a jacket and had somehow managed to obtain tickets along with a male companion to the LNG event which had boasted of restricting invitations. I also found out that he had been classmates at St Gregory's College with my 29 year old younger brother.

• I have also been directing the rehearsals of "The Gods are not to blame" thrice a week. It comes up on the 28th as part of the Muson Arts Festival. Its a race against time.

• A Nobel Peace Prize winner wrote me and I kept him waiting because I wasn't on-line.

• There are claims that the 3rd Mainland Bridge is shaking. Bridges aren't built as car parks. The traffic situation in Lagos ensures cars are grid-locked on the country's longest bridge for hours daily. And its been going on for years.

• EFCC has declared the mother of the Abia State Governor, wanted for financial crimes, along with her Personal Assistant and a number of other state officials. When EFCC attempted to effect an arrest, the security operatives guarding her shot at them. I love this country.

I'd like to thank Olusola of London for appreciating my blog. All the hours of staring cube-eyed at a computer screen trying to upload photos via dial-up have not been in vain.
Talking of which I have loads of photos which I'll put up once I sort the USB thing.



For Funmilayo, whom I loved (and still do) before I met Mona, you see what happens when you don't dress provocatively. Of course I'm enthralled by Mona but it doesn't stand in the way of you and I.
Its a man-thing, we are able to love more than one person with our hearts. I should sit down and ponder on that statement. Yeah, I'm an asewo, what can I say? Its mona's mind that got me first, though.



Funmilayo is a major blogger based in london, she goes by other names on her web-site and I suspect she has M.I.6 affiliations.



Olusola of london was looking out for me not realizing Molara is one of the few people allowed to call me names. I've called her a groupie too (and I had justification. hee hee)



So I'd like to ask all not to take offence. Ore la o ma se (Friends forever).



As for mischievious Araceli, she's one of my favourite people. Her eyes dance when she talks to you.



I'll be back soon.

Mona, the UK-based blogger who updates on the Nigerian Entertainment scene more than most Nigerian newspapers. I thought I'd take a closer 'look' at the virtual picture since she's refused to paste live ones of herself. 

INTERNATIONAL POETRY COMPETITION

http://www.dlrcoco.ie/feile/feile06/rules/RULESenglish.htm

Entries to be sent by post to the following address only:



Féile Filíochta/International Poetry Competition 2006
P.O. Box 6983
Blackrock
County Dublin
Ireland



Notes
• There is no entry fee.
• Poems can be on any subject and there is no restriction on length, theme or style.
• As a signature is required on the entry form, poems will NOT be accepted by e-mail.
• Attach this form to poem(s) submitted.
• Write your name on entry form only - not on poems.
• Please include title of poem on top of each page.
• Entrants may submit up to four poems in each language in their age group. Use separate forms if submitting poems in more than one language.
• There are 10 language categories in the Adult competitions: Irish, English, German, French, Italian, Welsh, Spanish, Scottish Gaelic, Swedish and Polish. In the Under 17 and Under 12 competitions, there are two language categories: Irish and English.
• In the junior categories entrants must be under 12 or under 17 on the closing date of the competition.
• Incomplete entry forms will not be processed.
• Poems cannot be returned to entrants and once submitted cannot be altered.
• We do not acknowledge receipt of poems.
• Poems must not have been published prior to entering the competition and should not appear in print, on a website, self-published or broadcast in any form before announcement of competition results. They must be the original work of the author.
•

• The list of prizewinners and winning poems will appear on the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Libraries website in early March 2007. Winners will be personally notified by the end of February 2007. Results will also be sent out in the post in March if you enclose a SAE with your entry.
  •

• Further entry forms available from address above or from libraries, or phone (01) 278 1788, fax (01) 278 1792. Entry forms and conditions in Irish, English, German, French, Italian, Welsh, Spanish, Scottish Gaelic, Swedish and Polish available online at www.dlrcoco.ie/library
  • At the discretion of the County Council winning poems may be published in different media.
  • The Judges' decision is final and no correspondence can be entered into regarding their decision.
  
• Closing date: Saturday 11th November 2006.