The Only Way

You Can Get Relief

Is To Get A Shot

Of Diddley

Apropos of nothing but to get the police off the streets by nine o'clock, here's sixty-six minutes of The Originator, Bo Diddley, seen here with friends Jerome Green, The Duchess, Chuck Berry and himself, Bo Diddley:

 

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Gaïtana: A Black Ukrainian

at Eurovision 2012

Stirs Racism Row

 

Last week Gaïtana was selected to represent Ukraine at this year’s Eurovision Song Festival. Gaïtana is born in Kiev, Ukraine, but lived the first five years of her life in Congo. Her father is from Congo, her mother is Ukrainian.

The Eurovision Song Festival is a major event in Eastern European countries, much more so than in Western European countries.

Juri Sirotjuk, a nationalistic politician from the Freedom Party (Svoboda), protested against the fact that a black singer would represent his country at the Song Contest. He stated that “Millions of viewers will see that Ukraine is represented by someone who doesn’t belong to our race, and they will think that Ukraine is somewhere in Africa.”

The Ukrainian political establishment condemned this statement. The Ukrainian boxing champion Vital Klitschko said that Sirotjuk’s statement is “a regrettable expression of xenophobia which doesn’t fit Ukraine’s European aspirations”. Ukraine’s public broadcast demands Sirotjuk to apologize.

Check below her 2010 video, some Ukrainian R&B/pop song:

ROSA

Romance writers' Organisation of South Africa

 

Introducing our first romance writing contest!

What we’re looking for:

• Original opening scenes between 1,500 and 2,500 words in length, with a romantic theme.

• Any sub-genre of romance is welcome.

Who can enter:

• Any resident of South Africa, or any South African citizen living abroad.

• For further entry requirements, please see the Terms & Conditions below.

Judging - Unpublished Entrants’ Category:

Round One:

• All entries to be viewed by the shortlist judge, Ceridwen Morris, former book editor at Oshun Books.

• 15 x shortlisted entries to be selected.

Round Two:

• Winner and two runners-up to be chosen from the shortlist by Rhonda Penders, Editor in Chief of The Wild Rose Press.

Judging - Published Entrants’ Category:

• All entries to be judged by Helen Breitwieser, of the Cornerstone Literary Agency.

• Winner and two runners-up to be selected.

Terms & Conditions:

1. The entrant agrees that the contest organisers may publish their name (or pseudonym, where applicable).

2. All copyright shall remain the property of the author.

3. Decisions of the Judge(s) are final and binding in all respects. No correspondence will be entered into, except between the contest organisers and the selected winners.

4. The Entry Administrator reserves the right to immediately disqualify, without notice, any entries that do not comply with the Terms & Conditions.

By entering this contest, the entrant hereby warrants the following:

i. The entry is original to the entrant. The entrant owns the copyright, and the entry has not previously been published in any form;

ii. The entry does not infringe upon the intellectual property or other statutory or common law rights of any third party (including but not limited to copyright, trademark and privacy rights);

iii. The entry does not contain libel, defamation, or obscenities;

iv. The entry does not promote discrimination against any race, gender, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation or age;

v. The entry does not contain material that is unlawful, or in violation of or contrary to the laws or regulations of the Republic of South Africa.

How entries will be handled:

• All entries are to be sent to contest@romancewriters.co.za

• An independent Entry Administrator (who is not eligible to enter this contest) will ensure that the entries are logged, that they adhere to the contest Terms & Conditions, and that the entries themselves are anonymous.

• The anonymous entries will then be forwarded to the Round One and Round Two judges.

• Once judging is completed, the judges will return the titles of the winning entries to the Entry Administrator, who will match the entries to the entrants.

• The Entry Administrator will publish the results on the ROSA blog and the ROSA Facebook page once the winners have been notified.

Time Frames:

• Tuesday 14th February 2012: Contest launch.

• Tuesday 1st May 2012: Entries to be submitted before midnight South African time.

• 14th February – 3rd May: Entry Administrator to check that all entries are entered into the database and that they do not contravene the Contest Terms & Conditions.

• Friday, 4th May 2012: Entry Administrator to forward anonymous entries to Helen Breitwieser (Published Entrants) and to Ceridwen Morris (Unpublished Entrants).

• Monday, 14th May 2012: Ceridwen Morris to send shortlist of Unpublished Entrants’ submissions to the Entry Administrator.

• Monday, 14th May 2012: 15 x Shortlisted entries to be forwarded to Rhonda Penders of The Wild Rose Press.

• Thursday 31st May 2012: Rhonda Penders and Helen Breitwieser to notify the Entry Administrator of their decisions.

• Friday 1st June 2012 (AM): Entry Administrator to notify the winning entrants.

• Friday 1st June 2012 (PM): Winners announcement to be made on the ROSA blog and website.

 

Open to African/ Asian Journalists:

Li Journalism Fellowship

(International Press Institute)

 

Deadline: 1 May 2012

The application period for the new Li Journalism Fellowship is now open and will run until 1 May 2012, the International Press Institute (IPI) announced today.

The annual, two-month fellowship is named after IPI Vice-Chairman Simon Li, a former assistant managing editor for The Los Angeles Times, and his wife, June, in recognition of their years-long support for IPI and press freedom.

The Li Fellowship is open to professional print, TV, radio, and online journalists who have a minimum of five years' reporting experience and who can demonstrate a commitment to excellence, ethical standards and the role of press freedom in promoting fundamental human rights.

Based at the IPI General Secretariat headquarters in Vienna, Austria, the Fellow will focus on a research or other project - which must include a press freedom aspect - agreed on by the Fellow and the IPI selection committee.

IPI will provide a monthly stipend to help cover the Fellow's expenses while in Vienna, as well as a two-month public transport travel pass. Fellows are responsible for covering travel and any additional living costs, though IPI will assist in locating accommodation.

Applications will be considered by a selection committee comprised of four representatives from the IPI Board of Directors as well as Mr. Li. IPI particularly welcomes applications from U.S. minorities, African and Asian journalists, and journalists who have focused on Africa or Asia.

"The Fellowship is a fantastic opportunity for a working journalist or a journalist in transition to further his or her career while contributing to IPI's valuable press freedom work,” said IPI Executive Director Alison Bethel McKenzie. "We look forward to receiving strong applications from media professionals across the globe."

The Fellowship will preferably take place during the months of August and September, though the exact time period is negotiable depending on the needs of the Fellow and IPI.

IPI notes that Fellows who intend to take a leave of absence or sabbatical from their place of employment must have written consent from their direct supervisor or media house to participate in the Fellowship.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

• The Fellowship will run yearly.
• The Fellowship will be for a period of two months (preferably August and September each year, but negotiable depending on needs of Fellow and IPI).

• The Fellowship is open to professional print, TV, radio, and online journalists.

• Fellows must have a strong command of the English language, written and oral.

• Fellows who intend to take a leave of absence, or sabbatical, from their place of employment, must have written consent from their direct supervisor or media house to participate in the fellowship.

• The Fellowship will be based at the IPI General Secretariat headquarters in Vienna, Austria.

• A minimum of five years’ professional experience, as well as a demonstrated commitment to excellence, ethical standards and the role of press freedom in promoting fundamental human rights are required.

• While at IPI, Fellows will focus on a research or other project agreed on by the Fellow and the IPI selection committee. The project must include a press freedom aspect.

• The application phase will run each year from 1 February – 1 May.

• Complete applications must include application form, CV or resume, two character references, and two writing samples.

• IPI will provide a monthly stipend of 1,000 Euro / month to cover some expenses.

• IPI will provide a monthly travel pass valid for two months for all public transport in Vienna.

• Fellows will be responsible for covering their own travel and accommodation costs.

• IPI will assist Fellows in the selection of accommodation.

• Applications will be considered by a selection committee comprised of four representatives from the IPI board of directors and Simon Li.

• IPI particularly welcomes applications from U.S. minorities, African and Asian journalists, or journalists who have covered Africa or Asia.

Applications should be sent by post, e-mail, or fax to:

Anthony Mills
Press Freedom & Communications Manager
International Press Institute (IPI)
Spiegelgasse 2/29 A-1010 Vienna Austria
Fax: + 43 1 512 9014
Email: amills(at)freemedia.at

Download application form here >>

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For inquiries: amills(at)freemedia.at

For submissions: amills(at)freemedia.at

Website: http://www.freemedia.at

 

2012 Guidelines

William Faulkner - William Wisdom

Creative Writing Competition

The Pirate's Alley Faulkner Society, Inc. will begin accepting entries for its 2012 competition on January 1, 2012. The deadline for 2012 is May 1, 2012. Please note changes throughout the guidelines have been made. Winners will be announced formally at the annual meeting of the Society, Faulkner for All, which takes place in November. A list of manuscripts which have been designated finalists and semi-finalists will be posted on the website by September 1. Winners will be notified with plenty of time to make plans to be present to receive their awards. The Pirate's Alley Faulkner Society will publish a list of all winners and finalists on its web site not later than January 31, 2013. Click Here for entry form.

Divisions Of The Competition

Category One - Novel: Prize, $7,500

Funded annually by private donors. Requirements: an original work of fiction, previously unpublished. The Society places a word limit of 100,000 words on novels within the single entry fee of $40. Writers who wish to submit novels of up to175,000 words must pay a $75 fee. Novels in excess of 175,000 words must pay a $125 fee. Novels in excess of 225,000 words must pay a $200 fee. Novel manuscript entries must be submitted electronically in word.doc format to Faulkhouse@aol.com. Novels submitted in other formats will be automatically rejected. The entry will consist of two word documents—one a contact page with author's name, address, e-mail address and phone number, category, title of manuscript and number of words; and, two, the entry consisting of a title page with title and category, and the actual manuscript. Attachment two, the entry, will have no author identifying information on it, as entries are read blind. Pages of actual manuscript are to be numbered. No hard copies of manuscripts are required or desired in this category. A hard copy of the entry form and the appropriate fee will be submitted by ground mail to Pirate's Alley Faulkner Society, 624 Pirate's Alley, New Orleans, LA 70116. All questions regarding the competition must be submitted to Faulkhouse@aol.com.

Category Two – Novella: Prize, $2,500

The Novella Prize is funded annually by private donors. Requirements: a short work of original fiction, previously unpublished. $35 entry fee. Works of fiction limited to 25,000 words will be accepted in the novella category. Novella manuscript entries must be submitted electronically in word.doc format to Faulkhouse@aol.com. Novellas submitted in other formats will be automatically rejected. The entry will consist of two word documents—one a contact page with author's name, address, e-mail address and phone number, category, title of manuscript and number of words; and, two, the entry consisting of a title page with title and category, followed the actual manuscript. Attachment two, the entry, will have no author identifying information on it, as entries are read blind. Pages of actual manuscript are to be numbered. No hard copies of manuscripts are required or desired in this category. A hard copy of the entry form and the appropriate fee will be submitted by ground mail to Pirate's Alley Faulkner Society, 624 Pirate's Alley, New Orleans, LA 70116. All questions regarding the competition must be submitted to Faulkhouse@aol.com.

Category Three - Novel-in-Progress: Prize, $2,000

The award, created and originally funded by Edgar winner Julie Smith, is named The Evans Harrington Grant in memory of the late Mr. Harrington, a creative writing professor at the University of Mississippi. This category is open to aspiring novelists. Requirements: highly polished outline or synopsis, and first few chapters or first 50 pages. Entry must not exceed 12,500 words, one-page synopsis. Entries may be any form of novel, including literary, mainstream, or genre. $35 entry fee. Entries exceeding 12,500 words will not be accepted. Novels-in-progress manuscript entries must be submitted electronically in word.doc format to Faulkhouse@aol.com. Novellas submitted in other formats will be automatically rejected. The entry will consist of two word documents—one a contact page with author's name, address, e-mail address and phone number, category, title of manuscript and number of words; and, two, the entry consisting of a title page with title and category, followed by a one page synopsis and the manuscript excerpt. Attachment two, the entry, will have no author identifying information on it, as entries are read blind. Pages of actual manuscript are to be numbered. No hard copies of manuscripts are required or desired in this category. A hard copy of the entry form and the appropriate fee will be submitted by ground mail to Pirate's Alley Faulkner Society, 624 Pirate's Alley, New Orleans, LA 70116. All questions regarding the competition must be submitted to Faulkhouse@aol.com.

Category Four - Short Story: Prize, $1,500

The Short Story Prize is funded by private foundations and private individuals. Requirements: a short work of fiction of less than 10,000 words. $30 entry fee. Short Story manuscript entries must be submitted electronically in word.doc format to Faulkhouse@aol.com. Short stories submitted in other formats will be automatically rejected. The entry will consist of two word documents—one a contact page with author's name, address, e-mail address and phone number, category, title of manuscript and number of words; and, two, the entry consisting of a title page with title and category, and the actual manuscript. Attachment two, the entry, will have no author identifying information on it, as entries are read blind. Pages of actual manuscript are to be numbered. In this category, a single hard copy of the entry is required. It should be submitted with a hard copy of the entry form and the appropriate fee and sent by ground mail to Pirate's Alley Faulkner Society, 624 Pirate's Alley, New Orleans, LA 70116. All questions regarding the competition must be submitted to Faulkhouse@aol.com.

Category Five – Essay: Prize, $1,000

The Shelby Foote Prize is funded annually by private donors. Requirements: limited to 2,500 words. $30 entry fee. Requirements: original work of creative non-fiction. Essays can be on any subject . Essay manuscript entries must be submitted electronically in word.doc format to Faulkhouse@aol.com. Essays submitted in other formats will be automatically rejected. The entry will consist of two word documents—one a contact page with author's name, address, e-mail address and phone number, category, title of manuscript and number of words; and, two, the entry consisting of a title page with title and category, and the actual manuscript. Attachment two, the entry, will have no author identifying information on it, as entries are read blind. Pages of actual manuscript are to be numbered. No hard copies of manuscripts are required or desired in this category. A hard copy of the entry form and the appropriate fee will be submitted by ground mail to Pirate's Alley Faulkner Society, 624 Pirate's Alley, New Orleans, LA 70116. All questions regarding the competition must be submitted to Faulkhouse@aol.com.

Category Six – Poetry: Prize, $750

The Marble Faun Prize for Poetry, created by Adelaide Wisdom Benjamin, now is funded annually by New Orleans by private donors, including in 2010 David Speights in memory of his late wife, Marti Speights, who was a member of the Faulkner Society's Advisory Council. Requirements: single work of original poetry of not more than 750 words. $25 entry fee. Poetry manuscript entries must be submitted electronically in word.doc format to Faulkhouse@aol.com. Poems submitted in other formats will be automatically rejected. The entry will consist of two word documents—one a contact page with author's name, address, e-mail address and phone number, category, title of manuscript and number of words; and, two, the entry consisting of a title page with title and category, and the actual manuscript. Attachment two, the entry, will have no author identifying information on it, as entries are read blind. Pages of actual manuscript are to be numbered. No hard copies of manuscripts are required or desired in this category. A hard copy of the entry form and the appropriate fee will be submitted by ground mail to Pirate's Alley Faulkner Society, 624 Pirate's Alley, New Orleans, LA 70116. All questions regarding the competition must be submitted to Faulkhouse@aol.com.

Category Seven – Short Story by a High School Student: 

Prize, $750, Student Author

; $250, Sponsoring Teacher

 

A prize of $250 is awarded to the sponsoring teacher. The Betty Moss Prize is funded annually by Mr. and Mrs. Hartwig Moss, III, in memory of his mother. Requirements: original work of fiction of less than 5,000 words. Entries must have sponsoring teacher or school, preferably both. $10 entry fee to be paid by school or, in case of home schooled students, by teacher. Shorts stories by High School students must be submitted electronically in word.doc format to Faulkhouse@aol.com. Entries submitted in other formats will be automatically rejected. The entry will consist of two word documents—one a contact page with author's name, address, e-mail address and phone number, category, title of manuscript and number of words; and, two, the entry consisting of a title page with title and category, and the actual manuscript. Attachment two, the entry, will have no author identifying information on it, as entries are read blind. Pages of actual manuscript are to be numbered. No hard copies of manuscripts are required or desired in this category. A hard copy of the entry form and the appropriate fee will be submitted by ground mail to Pirate's Alley Faulkner Society, 624 Pirate's Alley, New Orleans, LA 70116. All questions regarding the competition must be submitted to Faulkhouse@aol.com.

Important! General Guideline for all Categories

 

Urgent Please note: when you art naming your attachments, use your first and last name for the contact page (e.g. Rosemary James.doc) and for your entry use abbreviated title and category (e.g. Blind Love/Novel.doc). It is not necessary to put a variation of "Faulkner Competition" in the title, as this has caused us lots of separating and filing problems, and a lot of extra work changing the titles so we can easily recognize the documents.

Who Can Enter?

 

The Faulkner - Wisdom Competition is open to all writers anywhere working in the English language regardless of race, creed, color, sex, ethnic origin, political persuasion or location of residence. Quotas as to sex, race, creed, color, ethnic origin, political persuasion or residency are not imposed. Although foreign residents are welcome to enter the competition, transportation to and from areas outside the continental United States is not paid for winners by the Society. For foreign residents, the Society will pay transportation from one of these U. S. airports of entry: New York, NY, Washington, DC, Atlanta, GA, Miami, FL, Houston, TX, Chicago, IL or Dallas, TX.

Manuscript Requirements  

*All manuscripts entered must be unpublished works of fiction, non-fiction or poetry as of postmarked date of entry. Should a contract for publication be negotiated during the competition period, the entry will not be disqualified. The prize however, will be decreased by 33%, as a major goal of the Society and the competition is to help writers get work published. A work will be considered previously published if more than 50 percent has been published in any form. Self published or on-demand works will be considered published if more than 500 copies have been distributed in any way. If there is a question regarding publication by a winner selected in the competition, that person will be expected to offer proof of number of copies of a manuscript actually sold or distributed in any way. Works from which brief sections have been excerpted for quotation in literary journals, news journals, broadsides will not be disqualified. Fiction published in its entirety on the Internet is considered published, regardless of where on the Internet it appears.
*Any suspected plagiarism discovered will immediately disqualify a manuscript, regardless of when discovered, even if the plagiarism is discovered after a manuscript’s author has been notified that he or she is the winner. The work of finalists is examined carefully for lack of originality.
*Collections are not accepted in any category. Please do not send us your collections and expect us to select one piece as the entry.
*Poets! Do not send us multiple poems and expect us to select one. The entry is a single poem accompanied by a separate entry form and check for entry fee.
*You may submit as many entries as you like in any category, as long as each
has an entry form and check accompanying.
*Electronic entries will consist of attached material. Do not embed material in the body of the e-mail message. Attached material will be two documents including:
     —Contact sheet with all author info—name, address, e-mail address, phone number, plus title of work, number of words, category.
     —Entry composed of Title & Category, one-page synopsis if applicable to category, and excerpt or complete manuscript depending on category, with no author info on any page.
*Entry forms will be submitted in hard copy format with checks for fees to
Faulkner - Wisdom Competition, 624 Pirate's Alley, New Orleans, LA 70116.

 

What constitutes an Entry?

*An entry is a single work as defined in the contest categories.
*Each entry must have an entry form; contact/cover sheet which, like the entry form, contains the author's name, address, day and evening phone numbers, fax number, e-mail address, category and title of entry; and Title Page with title of work and category only. Author's name is not to appear anywhere but the entry form and the contact sheet. The contact sheet is a back up to entry form; it is removed before the manuscript is sent out for blind judging. The entry form contact sheets must be typed or printed.
*Each entry form must be accompanied by cash, a check drawn on a U. S. bank, a U.S. money order made out to The Pirate's Alley Faulkner Society, Inc. For entries from abroad send cash, a cashier's check, or American Express Traveler's Checks signed over to The Pirate's Alley Faulkner Society, for the appropriate administrative fee. Please do not send us foreign money orders or checks drawn on foreign banks. Each entry also must be accompanied by a completed, signed entry blank, which can be obtained by printing the entry form from the Society's web site, www.wordsandmusic.org. If you are unable to download the entry form, simply type one out yourself and send it.
*You may enter as often as you like. Multiple entries require multiple entry fees, forms.
*Entries must be accompanied by an accurate word estimate, using your computer's count.
*A major goal of the Society is to encourage literacy in the English language. All entries, therefore,  must be written in the English language. Entries may, of course, contain brief passages in other languages for creative emphasis. Foreign nationals should note that proficiency in English is a necessity to compete successfully. We do not offer translation services. We do not accept manuscripts in other languages.                                                                              
Winners

Only one prize is offered in any category. For a winning work by co-authors, the prize is divided, not doubled. For a tie, the prize is divided, not doubled. Barring extraordinary circumstances relating to health or disability, winners must be present in New Orleans at the Society's annual meeting, November 20, to receive their awards. Exceptions to this rule are solely in the discretion of the Board of Directors of The Pirate's Alley Faulkner Society. The Society reserves the right to use any presentations made by authors at awards ceremonies for future promotion of the Society and for the benefit of its projects. Transportation within the continental United States and hotel accommodations for the awards event  are paid by the Society. The Society does not make awards to runners-up, finalists, or semi-finalists and is under no obligations of any kind to any such persons. Traditionally, the awards gala, Faulkner for All, is held during the annual festival, Words & Music, a Literary Feast in New Orleans. If the festival is discontinued for any reason, the Society will endeavor, but is under no obligation, to have a stand-alone awards ceremony. If, for any reason, this is not possible, cash awards and gold medals will be presented to winners by express delivery service.

Publication Rights  

Although the Pirate's Alley Faulkner Society does not guarantee publication, the Society reserves the right to publish in its on-line journal, The Double Dealer, in news releases and in limited-edition booklets or broadsides, material selected as finalists in the competition. With regard to publishing excerpts, if it's a short story, essay, or poem, we may wish to publish the entire piece; if a novel-in-progress, novella, or novel, we consult with author to select excerpts. Authors are allowed to make changes, improvements, prior to publication in our journal. We have one-time rights for publication in the Society's journal, which has an approximate annual readership of 5,000, and a planned anthology 20 Years of Winners (working title) The anthology would be a repeat of excerpts already published in our journal. The Society also publishes from time to time short excerpts of winning manuscripts of 250 to 500 words in features formatted specifically to use as an education resource for creative writing teachers. Reprints of such features are underwritten by Rosemary James and provided free to creative writing teachers. The Society also has published limited-edition broadsides for gifts to sponsors and limited sales to offset the costs of printing. The Society's earnings from such materials will be used for future literary prizes and for the Society's educational projects. No honoraria will be paid to authors.

 

Entry Fees

Fees offset some of the administrative  costs of the competition, including copying and deliveries to preliminary readers and judges; travel and housing expenses for winners and judges; and gold medals awarded to winners.

Important  

*No manuscripts will be returned. Do not, under any circumstances, send us the original or only copy of your manuscript! The Society is an all-volunteer operation and we cannot correspond individually with each person entering the competition. If you wish to have confirmation of receipt of your manuscript, enclose a self-addressed, stamped postcard with entry form and check. The return of the postcard will be your confirmation.
*Please do not attempt to send us entries by fax. Such entries will be disqualified.
*Winners in one competition year will not be eligible to win again in the same category. Work for different categories, however, will be accepted from previous winners. Entries rejected in one competition year will be eligible for entry in subsequent years with significant revisions if accompanied by a letter explaining briefly how the manuscript has been revised.
*All winners will be posted on our web site by January 31, 2012.

Honor System

The competition is operated on the honor system. Should it become necessary to revoke a prize because rules are broken, all necessary costs will be borne by the offender. Should plagiarism be discovered after award of the prize, for instance, the offending winner will return cash prize and medal to the Society.

 

Judging

*Manuscripts are submitted blind for judging by professionals in the fields of editing, publishing, writing, and academics from major university English Departments. Judging is solely on the basis of writing talent, use of the language, and universality of appeal in content. Sex, race, color, creed, ethnic origin, and politics of the author are not factors in the selection.
*The Society reserves the right to reject any or all entries in a category in the event that entries submitted do not meet the standards of quality established by the Society and its judges. The precise standard is excellence in use of the English language, ready for publication.
*We strongly suggest that authors have their work read by disinterested third parties for purposes of correcting spelling, grammar, and typographical mistakes, prior to finalizing entries. We also strongly suggest that authors give major attention to beginnings and endings, dialogue, transitions, and character development, as our experience has been that these are the three areas which preliminary judges focus on when selecting work to progress to final rounds.
*After processing and copying your entries, the entries are forwarded to preliminary judges for the first round review. The judging process is as follows:

—First Round Review. If your manuscript is not eliminated in this round, it is re-read by different judges in a second round.  
—Second Round Review. If your manuscript is not eliminated in the second round of judging, you are designated a semi-finalist and your manuscript is read again.
—Third Round Review. If your manuscript is not eliminated in the third round of judging, you are designated a finalist and your manuscript is sent to the final judge, who will select a winner and runners-up.

*Preliminary judges are anonymous. Final round judges are well known writers, editors, or agents.

Announcements

 

Finalists are announced as each category's judging is completed, not later than September 25. They will be posted by name of manuscript only on our web site, as judging is blind. At the same time, we will post semi-finalists by name of manuscript and name of author. We announce winners publicly at our writers’ conference in November. Winners will be alerted as soon as we know their names, however, and we will send out an e-mail to announce winners to all who entered and who provided an e-mail address. The information also will be posted on this web site not later than January 31.

Questions?

 

We prefer that you do not call us. Use the phone only as a last resort. We are an all-volunteer organization with no paid staff. We, therefore, urge you to e-mail your questions.

 

E-Mail:  Info@wordsandmusic.org or faulkhouse@aol.com

Mail: The Faulkner - Wisdom Competition, 624 Pirate's Alley, New Orleans, LA 70ll6.

Phone: (504) 586-1609

 

 

 

 

Maya Wegerif

Maya was born in South Africa, has live in Tanzania and now resides in the USA. She describes herself as a Spoken Word Poet. Her biggest influences are poets Iyeoka and Kgafela Oa Makgogodi. The young poet has been writing for as long as she remembers. Her writing covers a range of topics including some rather outspoken politcal views. Some of the more prevelant themes in her writing are Political, Feminist and Black conscious. A die-hard Afr(i can)ist Maya believes that “Afrika for Afrika is the order of the day”

Why You Talk So White

Posted on February 21, 2012 by Maya Wegerif

Why You Talk So White?

Street kids were chirping,

guns were out,

cops were playing in the streets…

It was a beautiful day in Harlem.

She introduced herself as Shurnell

Gum-popping, eye-rolling, weave-twirling hell

‘Why you talk so white?”

I could not answer.
My expression was the bastard child of Pissed Off and Pity’s brief sexual encounter

Why do I talk so white?

Pissed Off said smack that b*!

Let’s see if you talk that much sh* when your lip is split!

Also, when did African Americans hold a convention to decide what black is?

And why did they not mention this to the rest of the Atlas?

Pity put her hand on my arm and told me to calm down.
Shurnell. You are of a displaced people.
You are what would have happened if Moses and his peeps never left Egypt.
I mean, I had an anxiety attack just coming here for college and I know my way back.
You are the black rose that will grow on top of the concrete if that shit won’t crack!
You are a caged bird with clipped wings that still had the courage to lift,
it’s a miracle you managed to live.

But have you bought into the American dream? Did you get a discount?
Do you look back on Senegal and thank white Jesus you made it out?
Have they sold you the American dream? Did it come at a good price?
You don’t have to tell me what black people sound like
White people have spent centuries trying to fit me into stereotypes
But black on black oppression just doesn’t come in my size

I reply, yes Shurnell. I sure as hell talk white.
Because I’m speaking a white language!
Best believe there wasn’t a single black person at the meeting when the British made up
English.
Or any of the so-called romance languages.
And if there was, they were probably serving sandwiches.
‘Cause we’re talking about the same people who called us savages

So every time. every time we speak English we talk white
Lakini afadhali mi’ naongea kiSwahili.
Mang’funa ne ‘s’Zuli ngiya s’khuluma
Ga ke rata, nkana ka bolela Sepedi
Na swona loku hi vulavula Xichangani na mhani, mi ngehi heti
Well, at least I still speak Swahili
And I can speak Zulu when I feel like it,
my Sepedi is as smooth as butter
and I can still speak Shangaan with mother.

But it’s not your fault! No, I blame the boats. I blame the coast.
I blame the tide. I blame the sea for not picking a side!
I blame bribes! I blame slave-traders AND sellout chiefs alike!
But it seems like you blame me
For being born in a former British colony
I sound white?? As opposed to what? Sounding American?
What does it matter whose oppressor is better?

Racism oppresses us all, and you know it.
We are part of a system that requires us to be inferior to make a profit.
And fighting each other makes us of it.
And so blackness fights blackness for a future that’s bright
Our end of the tunnel is so narrow, we fight each other to reach the light.

A hip-hop-blasting car let out “nigga” five times before reaching the corner.
A billboard advertising hair relaxer had the nerve to print the slogan “Love your hair!”
Street kids were chirping,
a fight broke out,
cops were playing in the streets.
Did I mention, it was a beautiful day in Harlem.

Maya Wegerif

What Happened to

the Best African American

Literary Magazines?

Posted on November 28, 2011 by Troy Johnson

I’m a collector.   My family calls it hoarding.  While I’m a big proponent of electronic books, I still love to surround myself with books and magazines.  Recently I had to admit the space required to maintain such an extravagance was too costly and becoming aesthetically unappealing.   As a result, I’ve either given away or tossed hundreds of old magazines.  I still have hundreds of books in boxes ready to go to anyone interested. (*see note at end of article)

 

Like any hoarder, worth their salt, I could not purge myself completely.   I managed to hold onto hundreds of books.  I also drew a line with first issues of any book related magazines.   It was these 1st issues that motivated me to write this blog post.

Quarterly Black Review of Books Volume 1, Number 1 August 1993

 

Like an old photograph, each of these 1st issues conjures up a wide range of memories and nostalgic feelings.  When I look at these magazines today I still experience the hope and promise they offered.  The hope came from an understanding that the coverage of books and stories written by Black people was a very rare thing.  Each of these magazines covered the wealth, and depth of our stories.  For me they were, and still are, a source of pride.

While I am excited to share information about these magazines, I’m also disappointed when I realize that most are no longer being published.  An even greater source of disappointment is, despite more books being published by Black writers than ever before, there are fewer platforms (television, magazines, newspapers, websites, bookstores) showcasing this work than there were just 5 years ago.

Here are a few of the first issues of magazines I have in my collection.  I have been a staunch supporter of most of them since their inception.  I have contributed content to, or have been featured in articles, in a few of them.  I have subscribed to, sold subscriptions and individual issues, at street fairs and on AALBC.com for most of these publications.

This is not to suggest that I liked everything they’ve published or all the editorial decisions they made.  They are, however, trailblazing publications and I love each of them.

Black Issues Book Review Premiere Issue - January - February 1999

 

Here I share a portion of my experiences and thoughts on a few of the first editions in my collection.

The first time I saw the first issue of Quarterly Black Review of Books (better known as QBR).  I was in a Brooklyn barber shop, waiting to get my hair cut.  I saw this broadsheet newspaper with nothing but information about Black writers in it.  All I could remember was thinking was WOW!

Max Rodriquez, founded this terrific publication in 1993.  The premiere issue measured 14.75″ x 11″ and was loaded with information.  The cover art was Malvin Gray Johnson’s 1934 oil painting the “Postman”.  QBR’s premier issue highlighted Rita Dove who, in 1993, was named Poet Laureate by the Library of Congress.

My copy of this magnificent work was a present from my dear friend and colleague Linda Duggins.  Linda and Max Rodriguez would go on to co-found the Harlem Book Fair.

Black Issues Book Review (BIBR) was founded in 1998 by William E. Cox, Adrienne Ingrum, and Susan McHenry.  The premiere issue debuted in 1999.  The launch party was held in a Borders Bookstore in midtown Manhattan.  It was one of the first industry events that I attended after launching AALBC.com.  I did not realize it at the time, but many of the country’s top Black publishing professionals were in attendance — people I would come to know and respect over the next decade.

Mosaic Literary Magazine - Preview Issue - February 1998

 

BIBR’s first issue featured the legendary author Octavia Butler.  BIBR did not pick some over exposed celebrity, or trendy rapper, to grace the cover.  They selected a talented writer (the author of one of my favorite books Kindred).  This signaled to me that BIBR was serious about showcasing talent.  In fact, in 1999, Black Issues Book Review was named one of “the ten best new magazines” by The American Library Journal from more than a thousand new publications.

In June of 2005, QBR: The Black Book Review and Black Issues Book Review announced an intent to join forces.   Unfortunately, the QBR and BIBR alliance never bore fruit.   In March of 2006, BIBR announced that it had been acquired by Target Market News, Inc.  Ultimately QBR became a online publication.  Neither magazine would continue as print publications beyond 2006.

Mosaic Literary Magazine (Mosaic) was launched by Ron Kavanaugh in 1998.  Given the history of similar magazines that have come before and after, it is truly a testament to both Ron’s dedication to his mission, and his skill as an entrepreneur, that he has kept Mosaic in print for almost 14 years.

ANANSI: Fiction of the African Diaspora - Premiere Issue - Winter 1999

 

I first discovered Mosaic online through it’s sister website Mosaicbooks.com.  I asked Ron for permission to publish, a list of Black owned bookstores he maintained on mosaicbooks.com.  Ron replied, “yes”, emphasizing that, “…this information needs to be shared”.  I knew immediately I was dealing with a conscious brother.  It would be months before we would meet in person, during a chance encounter in a small independent bookstore.  It was during that first meeting that we also discovered we graduated from the same high school, in the same year.  We have been close friends and business associates ever since.

ANANSI: Fiction of the African Diaspora was Founded in February 1999 and published by Sheree Renee Thomas, Angeli Rasbury, and Martin Simmons.  The first issue, featuring cover art by John Biggers, included original short fiction by writers of African descent.

I purchased this numbered (#495), first issue, in 1999 during the ANANSI launch party.  I would go on to work with the publishers Sheree and Angeli on a number of projects.  One of my favorite collaborations was with Sheree; we hosted a performance by Chrysalis Theatre Company of Mindscape during one of AALBC.com’s Brownstone Series events.

Lorraine and James: Global Urban Literature - Vol. 1, Issue 1 - 2005

 

Lorraine and James: Global Urban Literature was published in 2005.  The tri-annual publication published and edited by Jasia Madden was a high quality, well reviewed publication.

Honestly I’d lost track of this gem of a magazine.  I searched and found this message, the final entry, from the Lorraine and James blog, dated April of 2006:

Effective immediately, Lorraine and James is on hiatus. We are not sure how long this break will last or if we will have to simply call it a wrap – that remains to be seen.

As Editor, I appreciate all of the support and encouragement that I encountered along the way.

Best to all of you on your journey – Writer, may you find the prefect rhythm in your voice. Reader, may you discover and be changed by these worlds within great stories; worlds we might only dream of otherwise.

Yours,

Jasai
Wordjunkie/Editor/Friend
Lorraine and James

SLR: Street Literature Review - Vol. 1 - Fall 2007

 

As far as I can tell, Vol. 1 Issue 2 of Lorraine and James was never released.

SLR: Street Literature Review was founded by Jason Claiborne, and Anthony White.  I first saw this magazine at the Harlem Book Fair.  Someone handed me the 2nd issue and I walked around until I found the SLR table and secured the inaugural issue shown here.

Editor-in-chief Blaine Martin pulled together a smart, visually appealing and informative magazine.  The SLR team elevated a genre with the introduction of this magazine in 2007 — at a time where there were few other magazines showcasing Black book and authors.  SLR demonstrated that they were the authoritative voice for Street or Hip-Hop Literature.

As far as I can tell SLR has published three issues since their inception.  Indications are they plan to continue.  I truly hope so.

Fire!! - First Issue - November 1926

 

Fire!!  Devoted to Younger Negro Artists was a quarterly magazine first published in November 1926 and edited by Wallace Thurman.  Thurman’s effort were supported by Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Gwendolyn Bennett, Aaron Douglas, Richard Bruce and John Davis

The first issue, was the only issue of Fire!! ever published.

My copy of Fire!!, unfortunately, is just a replica of the original 1926 publication.  The content of Fire!!, relatively mild by today’s standards, was quite controversial in it’s day.  Fire! addressed sensitive issues directly including homosexuality, colorism in the Black community and prostitution.

The following quote best summarizes the importance of Fire!!:

At a time when Black writers were dependent on White editors and publishers, Wallace Thurman had the courage and foresight to plan and publish a quarterly magazine to provide opportunities for new talents. –source of quote

Killen Review of Arts & Letters - Fred Beauford, Editor - Published March 2010

 

Almost 100 years later this very same courage is  needed more than ever before.

Any success these magazines enjoyed is a function of their ability to corral the talents of writers, editors, photographers and other professionals to produce a quality publication.  Of course a quality publication is not enough.

Magazines, especially our book and literary magazines need to be actively supported.  Sure subscribing or making financial contributions are important but,  we can also contribute our time and energy by helping to promote magazines that we enjoy and encouraging others to do the same.

I’ve also observed the most successful magazines, the ones that make it over the long haul, have figured out ways to do two things; (1) Show their supporters that they are appreciated and (2) Develop alliances with other entities even other magazines.

There are so many other magazines I could have written about.  Some were left out simply because I did not have a copy of their first issue.  Below I’ve included a short list of other literary or book magazines still in print:

• Journal of Hip Hop
• Killen Review of Arts & Letters
• African Voices Magazine
• Written Magazine
• mythium literary journal
• Tidal Basin Review
• phati’tude Literary Magazine
• Pluck! Journal of Affrilachian Arts and Culture

If you are aware of other book or literary magazines not listed please post them in the comments section.  If I get enough entries perhaps I’ll write a part 2 — especially if I’m sent a copy of the first issue!

________________________________________

Admittedly this last publication, a comic book, does not belong with the rest.  But it does relate to the special feelings associated with 1st issues and speaks to why people get really excited about reading.

I’m old enough to remember, when it was still a big deal to see a Black person on television and an average reader could know the names of all the Black writers published by the major publishing houses.  This was a time were there were less than a handful of Black comic book characters and certainly no super heroes with their  own comic book series.

Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1 Published June 1972

 

In walks Luke Cage, Hero for Hire.  The first issue was published by Marvel Comics in June of 1972 and featured the cover art of John Romita, Sr.

I purchased this comic and maybe the next 20 or so until I lost interest in comic books about about 35 years ago.  My copy is not nearly as neat as the version depicted here, but it is still just as valuable to me.

Cage was the only super hero that I wanted to relate to — because he was Black!  He was from Harlem and the action took place my neighborhood.

In hindsight, the fist Black super hero comic book series was introduced to capitalize on the popularity of Blaxploitation films of the era.  From the eyes of this young boy, eager to see a Black superhero, Luke Cage was the man!

________________________________________

*Note about my books: I do have several hundred books in boxes ready for donation.  If you are driving distance from Philadelphia area, and would like these books, please email me at troy@aalbc.com.  You’ll need to be able to transport the books yourself and be prepared to you to take all of the books.  The vast majority of book were written by African American writers have have been published within the last 10 years.

CUBA:

A Foreigner’s Thoughts

on Race and Politics

 

By Black Acrylic

Cuba and I have a special relationship. I first came to the island with my friend Sarah in April 2011, encouraged after meeting two Cuban brothers in Uganda. Their father had immigrated to my country of birth as an economic migrant and his sons had followed to study. They showed me multimedia memories of home sent by their mother who had since relocated to Venezuela. We used broken Spanish and broken English to give each other an insight into our worlds and in that moment I decided that Cuba would be my next destination. A few months later Sarah and I arrived at Jose Marti airport full of anticipation. Over the next two weeks our days were filled with consuming the tourist circuit, whilst trying to avoid tourists; being charmed by Cubanos; negotiating everything down to its intangible; politicking daily with English speaking Rasta’s at my favourite bookstore on Obispo Street; beach days; reggaeton nights; rumba evenings; more reggaeton nights; an Orisha anniversary ceremony of a Dutch lady we met; and a mini break to Venelas and day trips to provinces surrounding Havana. On my return to London my tears paid homage to a city I had fallen in love with.

In Cuba I found distant relatives. Afro-Cuban’s looked at me puzzled, “Cubana?” they asked. “No, I’m from Africa” I answered two girls who stopped us in Central Havana. “Ohhh, so you are Cuban! You know Cuban’s came from Africa too,” one of them replied excitedly. “Enjoy Cuba mami!” they said as they walked away. “Lady! Ma famillia!” Cubanos hollered as I passed. At UNEAC I met retired servicemen who had served in the Angolan war and told me about their experiences on the continent and other parts of the world. Unlike England where grandparents are often put in old peoples homes, I found grandparents in Cuba on show and eager to share their hindsight. I listened enthusiastically. However, I found the cultural capital I had in the streets of Havana was contradicted in hotels and exclusively tourist haunts until I opened my mouth and the Queen’s English tumbled out. “Cubana?” clerks with furrowed eyebrows asked. My British accent provided proof that I was foreign and entitled to use the amenities. I soon understood that my dark skin and foreign nationality intersected on a contradictory socio-cultural axis.

As a tourist in Cuba I was cloaked in a privilege that I was unaccustomed to in my London life. Unlike the foreign opportunists who capitalise on this privileged space – usually in the form of sex tourism – it made me uncomfortable. My dark skin and foreign nationality made me an exciting cultural novelty. Being a cultural novelty in a country where the main foreign exchange is tourism led to attention that dwarfed the sycophantic admiration received by my white best friend. Speaking to a British Cuban friend of mine in his apartment in Vedado, he explained to me that a young, financially independent, negra bonita was an antithesis of everything Cuban life had to offer. He concluded that this was at the epicenter of the whirlwind that surrounded me on our escapades on the island. Despite the white noise created by the unequal socio-economic dynamics between visitors and residents our escapades bore amazing memories and I cultivated real friendships on the island. The best thing about Cuba is it’s people and my new friends inspired my last visit to the island and I know they will inspire many more. 

On my recent trip to Havana I arrived at Jose Marti airport alone – without my white companion. I expected the usual, “Cubana?” and inquisitively furrowed eyebrows. However, even I was taken aback by the five non-immigration personnel who asked to see my passport in the thirty minutes between landing and exiting at arrivals. I resisted the urge to lash out, instead guessing that as a negra even the cleaner had the right to ask to see my passport. I later tweeted about the situation asking sarcastically: “Where are my white friends when I need them?” This thought came back to me regularly as empty taxis refused to stop for me on the residential street of my casa particular; and daily as the eyes of security followed me as I entered Hotel Parque Central to check my emails every morning. As hotel staff asked themselves if I was a tourist or a concubine I stared back defiantly wishing someone would ask to see my ID. The reverberation they would experience would be unforgettable. One day in the lounge of Hotel Parque Central as I checked my emails a European tourist sat opposite me with his prize bonita negra. As he smoked casually she sat next to him anxious, silent, her shoulders hunched. She glanced at my face, my clothes, my shoes, my iPad and back at my face. Maybe she too was asking herself if I was a tourist or a concubine. I’m sure she too felt the criminalising gaze of hotel security following her every move. Her only salvation was to stay still and try to blend into the furniture. She did not have the privilege of a foreign passport to silence questions.

Opinions on race and racism in Cuba are as diverse as the people. Contemporary attitudes to race have been highly influenced by Fidel Castro’s Revolutionary ideal that race was subordinate to nationhood and national resistance. The idea that national Cuban identity transcended racial identity was also encouraged by prominent Cuban writer and anthropologist Fernando Ortiz. Ortiz described1940’s Cuba as in a stage of “integration” – the final stage of “the rite of social communion”. He saw in Cuba a post-racial society similar to the one American social commentator’s envisaged after the election of Barack Obama. In contrast, Afro-Cuban intellectual Walter Carbonell believed race was integral to identity and acknowledging the influence of African culture on the island was the only legitimate way to understand national identity. Carbonell attempted to set up a Black Power organization in the 1960’s and was socially ostracised for his ideological sins. Recently Afro-Cuban Economist Esteban Morales’ analysis of contemporary race relations in Cuba called for government affirmative action programmes to counter historical racial discrimination. 

The Revolution endorsed ideal of a racial utopia in Cuba – neither purely white or purely black – has done little to eradicate informal discrimination on the island. The most apparent infestation of racism is in the Cuban job market. There is an obvious colour line that separates employees on the front desk and chambermaids in Havana hotels irrespective of qualifications. A trilingual Afro-Cuban friend of mine told me frankly that his appearance would prevent him being hired on a reception in a Havana hotel, as managers would rather hire a white Cuban even with a lack of languages. I was even unlucky enough to encounter a black grandmother with a mulatto daughter who pulls on her grandsons’ cheeks and admires how white he is. I was told she doesn’t like black people touching her grandson because they are poor and have no money. Like many black communities around the world, blackness in Cuba has been stigmatised. This is a result of many factors including the history of slavery on the island and Spanish possession, the segregationist policies of the US occupation and even the Eurocentric Marxist ideology that fuelled the Revolution.

I asked my Spanish teacher in Cuba – an ex sailor and connoisseur of the Arts and women – why it was so difficult for me to find commentary on race relations in Cuba translated into English. Apart from the beauty AFROCUBA: An Anthology of Cuban Writing on Race, Politics and Culture that I found in the book market Havana Vieja, and using Google to translate blogs such as Negra Cubana Tenia Que Ser I couldn’t find much. Apart from my friends at the bookstore on Obispo Street it was even difficult to discuss discrimination with Cubans. He explained to me that racism in Cuba is usually subtle and for most Cubans – irrespective of race – the main concern was sustenance and enjoying life. He said that draconian socialism was Cuba’s first problem and I agreed. There are those who see Cuba as a romantic relic of uncompromising anti-imperialism. I have been told this is a belief widely held in cities like Santiago de Cuba, and less so in Havana. In Santiago Fidel is still the heroic sentinel of Revolutionary values. However, today these values must be questioned as they appear more as ritualistic ideals than strategically implemented solutions to benefit Cuban people. The governing elite of Cuba live a gluttonous, hedonistic lifestyle like most governing elites. Their hypocrisy has desecrated on the socialist ideals of equal distribution of resources and equal access. In jest I asked a friend if President Raul Castro had a ration card and he laughed, saying ration cards are only for the common Cuban people. The elites have everything – including the very best of food production to ensure everything they eat is of the highest quality.

As dissident Yoani Sanchez writes in her book Havana Real, Cuban society consists of a series of failed experiments. The failure of these social experiments is a Capitalists wet dream. A country made of dilapidating Communist ideals being held together by a Capitalist black market. These experiments have played with Cuban lives and many Cuban’s dream daily about escaping the lack opportunity and prohibitive lifestyle. The exodus of Cuban’s abroad is akin to what a country experiences in a civil war. At my favourite bookstore I met a Cuban who had returned from Spain for the first time in twenty years. He said he left Cuba when he was my age and most of his friends and family are now living abroad. My other friend tells me he loses hope everytime he thinks about friends of his that have been thrown in jail for trying to change the country. Yet, what Yoani unjustly neglects in her “real” portrayal of Havana is the beauty that resonates in the city despite the political matrix. Havana reminds me somewhat of Makoko in Nigeria – the district floating on water. In societies like these survival clichés such as “sink or swim” and “do or die” are a reality. The victors are those dynamic enough to evolve and innovate their way through adversity. In Havana the people dynamically evolve and innovate with style.

It is important for me to acknowledge that I have met very special people in Cuba and I have learnt the importance of enjoying life there. In London the focus on personal acquisition can become so consuming that moments are partially experienced and personal relationships neglected. In contrast the focus on relationships, love and family in Cuba is replenishing. My personal obsession with self-expression means that like Yoani Sanchez I too wish to see the following in Cuba: 

Freedom of opinion                                                                       

Freedom of access to the Internet                                                

Freedom to enter and leave Cuba                                                  

Freedom of association                                                                  

Freedom for prisoners of conscience                                            

Freedom for Cuba

I do not think that freedom for Cuba is an aggressive, morally bankrupt form of Capitalism. Neither do I know what will be the tipping point that will dismantle archaic social principles, yield necessary economic rejuvenation and effectively challenge racial discrimination. What I do know is that Cuban people extract the joy from life in a way that gives me hope for better days even as the island approaches the 54^th anniversary of the Revolution.

Photo: Carlos Gonzalez Ximenez

++++++++++++++

email: blackacrylic@gmail.com

Ugandan born. London Grown. Sapiosexual 

KINSHASA:

CITY NUMBER TWO

By Adam Curtis | 18:24 UK time, Tuesday, 6 October 2009

 

As well as our relationship with Afghanistan, I am researching the legacy of other  European empires - in Africa. We think of those empires as history but actually they still haunt our everyday lives in the strangest of ways.

These are notes on some of the people and events that have formed that strange link with the past.

PART ONE - GORILLA-GUERILLA

Just like Kabul, in the 1960s Kinshasa was a place that fascinated Europeans. It was both violent yet exciting. And it became a place where Western dreams of Africa and African dreams of the West met and started to feed off each other.

Here is a report from the night club Saint-Hilaire in Kinshasa in August 1967. For weeks the white population of the city had been in lockdown under the orders of the new President Mobutu. Now they were celebrating what looked like peace.

 

At the same time a new fashion was emerging in the Saint-Hilaire and other clubs in Kinshasa. To dress perfectly like Europeans. It had begun 500 yards across the Congo River in Brazzaville but had spread to become a cult of elegance among young Kinshasans.

They were members of what they called La Societe des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Elegantes - Sapeurs for short. At the heart of the vision was a dream of Paris. It had started in the 1950s with trying to dress like post-war Parisian existentialists - or "existos", but now it was all about wearing labels like Dior.

Those involved saw it as much more than simply being a dandy. It was an alternative universe to the corrupt politics and the violence that had taken over the Congo. It was a dream of another kind of society with its own beautiful rules and values.

I have tried to find archive of the sapeurs from the 60s and 70s. So far all I can find is is a tantalising shot of Basseka Kandza holding up photographs of himself as a young Sape. It is part of a site of fantastic photographs of contemporary Sapeurs by Hector Mediavilla.

  Another was the Congolese painter Bodo. Here is a painting by him from the wonderful collection of Jean Pigozzi in Geneva. Bodo will reappear in this story along with others painters like his friend Cheri Samba. They believed they could use painting to change the course of history.

Che Guevara was also dedicated to changing the course of history. And in 1965 he came to the Congo to try and transform it into his vision of a socialist state.

 

Che was convinced the Congo was the weak point in western imperialism. So he made the ultimate sacrifice and shaved off his moustache and beard to disguise himself. Here is a photo of of him shaving and another of him in the disguise.

Guevara travelled secretly with a small group of Cubans across Lake Tanganyika to the eastern Congo. He had a theory he called Foco which he had developed with a Parisian intellectual called Regis Debray. The theory said that tiny groups of revolutionaries could inspire the people of a country to a big insurrection. To do this the revolutionaries had to set a moral example and then the Congolese rebels around them would be transformed into "New Men"

But nothing went right. Che had given himself the codename "Tatu", which means three in Swahili. The Congo rebels thought this meant he was only third in command and didn't listen to anything he said. He in turn was shocked at how all the rebels believed in magic - Dawa - which would make them invincible to bullets. This meant they didn't bother to train and sat round drinking all the time.

Then Che led the rebels on an attack on a Hydro Electric plant. Some of the soldiers said they had heard an elephant and ran away. The rest closed their eyes and fired their guns randomly. Che was very depressed. Then they tried to attack an army barracks, but the Congo rebels had a superstitious fear of trenches so they wouldn't get into the holes they themselves had dug - and many were killed.

Faced by disaster Che gave in. He told the rebels he had found a witch doctor with more powerful Dawa. As a result things started to go better, until he came up against a group of mercenaries led by Colonel "Mad" Mike Hoare.

Hoare is an interesting man. He had singlehandedly created the modern African mercenary. Groups of European soldiers from the old colonial power who hired themselves out to the new African governments

Here is very degraded footage of the mercenaries attacking the Congo rebels

 

And this is part of an interview with Hoare where he is quite honest about the brutality and looting.

 

Che spent his days waiting in the mountains for the rebel leader Laurent Kabila to turn up. He gave the rebels classes in how to be "new men" but they laughed at him, he got dysentery, he lost his pet monkey, and then Kabila finally arrived but was completely drunk. Che Guevara gave up any hope of creating a revolution. He wrote Fidel Castro a despairing letter. In it you can feel the 20th century dream of transforming oppressed people into new kinds of powerful beings quietly dying away.

Che left and went off to try and transform the Bolivian peasants instead.

But almost immediately another person turned up in the very same mountains in the Congo who would be central to the rise of a new liberal idea. The belief that far from being different and superior to nature, we should recognise that human beings are intimately connected to all other species in the "web of life". It is the belief that dominates the west today.

She was called Dian Fossey. Fossey was an American - from California - who was obsessed with gorillas. In 1966 she met the famous British scientist Louis Leakey. Leakey had discovered the fossil skull in a central African gorge that proved Darwin's theory that human beings had first emerged in Africa, descended from the apes.

This is a section from a BBC programme that catches the new mood that Leakey's discovery had created

 

Leakey now wanted to study chimpanzees and gorillas from the region to learn more about human evolution at that time. He had already persuaded Jane Goodall to spend her life with chimps, and now he asked Dian Fossey whether she would like to go and live with the gorillas.

Fossey agreed immediately, and in early 1967 she climbed into the Virunga mountains just north of where Che Guevara had fought his battles. Nine days later she found her first gorilla troupe. They charged at her, but Fossey was determined to gain their trust. So she sat quietly next to them pretending to be another gorilla. She mimicked their noises of contentment. She nibbled at wild celery, and spent hours crouched in a submissive posture.

It is an image that the National Geographic Film Department would make famous around the world. Television - especially the BBC - was going to become the central conduit for spreading this new ideology. It did this through these emotional images of a human being uniting with the gorillas. Here is one of the earliest of the National Geographic sequences showing Fossey waiting.

 

But even as Fossey waited, the rebellion in the Eastern Congo began again.

Joseph Desire Mobutu had seized complete control of the Congo and he moved against the rebels. This time though the white mercenaries switched sides and worked for the rebels. But they had lost Major Hoare, their old leader, and they rapidly spun out of control. The mercenaries committed horrific acts of violence against Congolese rebels and civilians. To the Congolese it was as though the ghosts of the horrors they had suffered under the Belgian King Leopold had been reawakened.

This is part of an interview with one of those mercenaries. He is remarkably open about both what he did and what he felt as he did it. You don't see anything, but what he describes is really not for the squeamish.

 

In response President Mobutu made a radio broadcast warning his people about these white foreigners. Many of his people took this as an instruction to attack the white population. Hundreds were kidnapped and killed, and in August 1967 a group of Congo army soldiers came and took Dian Fossey down from the mountains.

Fossey was shut in a metal cage and she was then raped repeatedly over a period of 16 days.

As the horror mounted in the Congo the western media became fascinated. The underlying implication in much of the reporting was that it proved what those who had run the empires always said - Africans are savages who need to be controlled and guided otherwise they will behave just like the primates they live among.

The BBC programme Not So Much a Programme, More a Way of Life tackled this attitude. Here is part of it. First a sketch and then a discussion, dominated by a BBC journalist called James Mossman. Mossman is a fascinating character - who will reappear. He had been, and probably still was, a member of MI6.  But much of his reporting of the post-colonial world at the time was driven by his belief that unless we understand the roots of this violence in our own exercise of power through our empires then it will come back to haunt us and corrode our own sense of ourselves.

 

At the end of August Dian Fossey managed to escape from the Congo soldiers. She fled across the border into Uganda where Louis Leakey rushed to meet her. He fell desperately in love with her. For four weeks they had a passionate affair. But then Fossey retreated - both literally and emotionally.

She climbed up into the Virunga mountains again - but this time not in the Congo - and set up a new camp. She began to approach the gorillas again and ignored Leakey's desperate appeals of love. She wrote to him:

"You will be very happy to know that I've found a utopia - not only for the gorilla but for me as well. Not only is this area teeming with gorilla, it is beautiful beyond description."

The utopia was Rwanda. And here is the famous National Geographic image of Fossey being accepted by the gorillas as one of their own. Its message is the opposite of the dream Che Guevara had tried to bring to the Congo. He wanted to take the Africans forward, but the Europeans are looking backwards to a prelapsarian past when they were at one with nature - and thus better people.

But both were idealistic dreamworlds using the Congo.

 

And as Fossey began again in Rwanda, Che Guevara was captured and shot in Bolivia.

James Mossman was rude to the Prime Minister Harold Wilson on live TV. He was forced to make arts programmes instead. And three years later he killed himself

Many of the mercenaries who had fought in the Congo committed suicide. This  is part of an interview with Mike Hoare about this. Followed by his admission that he was now being approached by revolutionaries who wanted him to arrange coups to topple African leaders. A bit like what Che Guevara was trying to achieve.

 

Louis Leakey went to live with Jane Goodall's mother

And President Mobutu decided he had to dress like an African not a European. But he still had all his leopard skin hats made by the best furrier in Paris.