12 November 2005
Saturday 12 November 2005 21:00-21:45 (Radio 3)
Ian McMillan marks ten years since the death of Nigerian writer Ken Saro-Wiwa, and Peter Blegvad returns with another series of his award winning 'eartoons'.
Programme Details
On The Verb, Ian McMillan is joined by the poet Nii Parkes to remember the Nigerian writer Ken Saro-Wiwa, who died ten years ago this week. Although Saro-Wiwa was a passionate advocate for the rights of the Ogoni tribe, which ultimately led to his execution, he was also an influential and prolific writer, penning plays, poems, novels and television series. Nii Parkes and Ian look back at Saro-Wiwa's seminal novel, Sozaboy, a linguistically experimental book which used broken and pidgin English to breathe life into a portrait of a politically disenfranchised Nigerian community. Linguist Nicholas Ostler also joins the discussion with some fascinating insights into the rich history of pidgin languages and their use today.
Also on the programme, The Verb's award-winning eartoonist Peter Blegvad returns with a new series of aural delights, and comedians Alex Horne and Oliver Double analyse and pay tribute to the much-maligned one-liner. Plus, there's a chance to hear a powerful, moving dramatic monologue written especially for The Verb by Booker longlisted author Tash Aw.
That's all on The Verb with Ian McMillan and his guests at the slightly earlier time of 21:00, here on BBC Radio 3.
Producer: Aasiya Lodhi
Additional Information:
1) The Harmony Silk Factory by Tash Aw is published by Harper Perennial
2) Sozaboy by Ken Saro-Wiwa is currently out of print
3) Getting The Joke: The Art Of Stand Up Comedy by Oliver Double is published by Methuen
