BBC Network Africa

We asked you to submit a short written composition to explain how you identify yourself. Do you identify yourself first and foremost with your family, your ethnic group, your country, your region or your continent? How does that affect the way you behave and the way you see the world?

Who can enter?

Anyone who is NOT an employee of the BBC. Entrants must supply their name and telephone contact details.

What is the prize?

A week in London paid for by the BBC including flights, accommodation, some spending money and food.

How will the programme run the completion?

We will broadcast one of the five short-listed entries every day starting from Monday 10th until Friday 14th December 2007 on all editions of Network Africa: 0330, 0430, 0530, 0630 and 0730 GMT.

Entries will be credited on air to the author. Copyright rests with the BBC.

Before and during that week we shall make it clear in our trails that voting for the overall winner is on Monday 17th December 2007 only.

Voting by text messages ONLY (+447786205085).

How will the shortlist be drawn up and the final winner chosen?

The shortlist of five will be drawn up by members of the African News and Current Affairs team in London.

It will be reached using the team's editorial judgement and taking into account originality, excitement, potentiality for good radio and to enrich understanding and perception of African identity.

The entry with the most text votes will be judged the winner.

What checks will be made to ensure the voting is fair?

All five finalists will be broadcast the same number of times, at the same time, one per day, over five week-days.

On the day of the vote, Monday 17th December 2007, we will play out short clips of all five entries to remind listeners what they are.

We will associate each final entry to the day they are being broadcast (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday) and ask listeners to vote using the day of the week.

Only one vote per person will be allowed. Anyone voting twice will lose their vote.

How will the announcement be made and on what timetable?

The announcement of the overall winner will be made on Christmas Day December 25th 2007 during our special pre-recorded Christmas music request programme.

We will endeavour to pre-record telephone interviews with the five finalists and broadcast the voice of the overall winner during that programme.