Nigerian poet Ebi Robert, whose poetry appears in
Emanations: Foray into Forever, has contacted me seeking help with his play
An Empty Kingdom. He is looking for a critic interested in writing a short introduction or afterword. Mr. Robert has provided me with the following prospectus:
The play is about the
struggle of power between the people and the few. Set in the
south-south, Niger Delta region of Bayelsa State of Nigeria, the play presents the
struggle of governance between the people and a group of persons who
believe in an oligarchical
authoritarianism based on an ancient order of kingship by inheritance.
The late King had no son, hence there was no one to continue the
bloodline. The late King's uncle demands that he be made king,
being the only surviving seed of the bloodline. The people refuse
because nothing good has ever come out of the custom, save injustice. Thus they choose Tuaton, a man from another land who had
lived with them. But the aristocrats refuse saying he is not a son of the soil.
Thus, on and on, they struggle to influence the authorities and make one of their own King. Eventually, I plan to develop the concept into a trilogy. I currently seek someone to write a foreword
for the play. Search the name "Ebi Robert" to contact me through facebook, or use my email: ebi [dot] fortune [at] yahoo [dot] com.
Unfortunately, I am tied down and can't write the forward--anyway, not at this time. In the meantime, if someone can lend a hand here, please contact Mr. Robert as per his instructions. Incidentally, more of Mr. Robert's poetry will appear in
Emanations V.
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| Ebi Robert |
