The Nation Newspaper

Tag: style

  • Style, inner expression of a woman’s personality—YEMISI SUSWAM

    Style, inner expression of a woman’s personality—YEMISI SUSWAM

    In the current political dispensation, Yemisi Suswam, architect and First Lady of Benue State, has etched her name on people’s consciousness on account of her charitable works and distinct style. She speaks on these and more in this interview with REMI ADELOWO

    How do you feel on the award conferred on you by the Sun Newspapers?

    Of course I feel very grateful to God Almighty and the organisers of the award. I also feel very humbled. I’ve watched a few of the past awards with admiration with no expectation that I would one day be honoured by the organisation. And the good thing about it all is that the award is not price tagged. I just saw my name like every other winner and that is quite humbling and heartwarming. Of course, my humble contributions to ensuring that my husband’s administration is endeared to the people of Benue State have not gone unnoticed and I give God all the glory.

    You have won many awards in the past, so which one would you consider as the most remarkable?

    The truth is that I’m always very skeptical when it comes to people or organisations conferring me with awards. The greatest award one can have in life is serving God and humanity. If I could recall, the first award I got was shortly after I got married; that was around 1996 before my husband became the governor. I also got an award from the National Council for Women Society (NCWS). Then I also cherish the award conferred on me by my professional body and all these did not come with any monetary condition. Of course, that is not to say that the awards I’ve received as a governor’s wife are not appreciated. These awards too are very important. In 2008, the European Market Women Union based in Belgium conferred an award on me alongside the former National Chairman of PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, in France. Then there is also the African Leadership Award which was organised by the European Research Marketing Company, African Achievers Award which held in Kenya. Other awardees include a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and former Minister of Petroleum Resources, the late Alhaji Rilwan Lukman of blessed memory.  No doubt, I appreciate all of these awards.

    Not a few Nigerians have described you as, unarguably, Nigeria’s most stylish first lady. Is that something you consciously set out to achieve?

    I feel shy and humbled if people say that about me, but, honestly, it’s not something that is deliberate. I don’t even think about it; I just do things as directed by God. I believe that I’m a vessel that God uses for certain purposes and that is all that matters to me. What has also helped me is that because my husband is a governor, a lot is expected of him and the time he spends with me is quite minimal…

    (Cuts in) I’m sure that is a huge sacrifice for you

    Of course it’s a big sacrifice, because as a married woman, you expect your husband to stand by you when the situation demands it. But I can understand, because he must attend to public calling. So, what I do is to spend my time on charitable works which I find very rewarding.

    Still talking about style; is it a virtue that is innate or something you imbibed along the line?

    My belief is that style is an inner expression of a woman’s personality. My mum is quite a stylish person and she is now 86. We learnt a lot from her. If you also meet my siblings, you see that in them. But above all, looking stylish is all about the glory of God.

    Your NGO has done a lot in the areas of empowering women and tackling the scourge of HIV and AIDS in Benue State. So, what has been your most significant achievement as Benue’s First Lady in the last eight years?

    In terms of our intervention in HIV and AIDS prevention in Benue State, I’m very proud of what we’ve been able to achieve. Some years ago, many people in the state were dying in huge numbers, but the situation is different today, because of the awareness and sensitisation we have done in the 23 local governments in Benue State. Now, people are equipped with adequate knowledge on how to know their status and live a positive and productive life. This is quite heartwarming for me. The first baby that we had in one of our HIV clinics, who tested negative, is the biggest excitement for me. That child is about four years now and still tests negative. The fact that we are getting rid of HIV among the next generation, for me, is something to cheer about. Before our intervention and in collaboration with Action Committee on AIDS and other agencies, Benue State, which recorded 12.8 percent in 2010, has dropped dramatically to 5.7 percent in prevalence scale. So, instead of being first on the prevalence scale, Benue State now ranks number nine. I’m so excited about this, because that simply shows that all our humble efforts have not been in vain.

    Your tenure as Benue first lady would be winding down come May 28, what has been the most impactful lesson you’ve learnt in the last eight years?

    The popular adage that says all that glitters is not gold is very true at least from my personal experience. People erroneously believe life is all rosy for elected public officials and leaders…

    (Cuts in) but is it not all rosy?

    I tell it’s not rosy at all. There are a lot of sacrifices to make; there are a lot of risks to take on behalf of the people you lead. Before you get into public office, you dream of doing so many things, but when you get there, you are confronted with severe limitations that would constrain you from making things happen. As a leader, there are some circumstances that are just beyond your powers to change or influence. And that is why we have to educate our people on making unnecessary demands, because the truth is some of their requests are just ridiculous that you wonder whether they think you are God. The expectations are just so many. In public office, I’ve also learnt a lot about people, because it gives you the opportunity to see the good, the bad and the ugly. As a public office holder, you learn every day.

    Do you sometimes get sulked in or carried away with all the fawning and sycophancy of people around you?

    I don’t ever get carried away and that is the truth. I’m always a bit jittery when people say nice things about me and always on guard. I’m not God, and so when you say nice things about me to my face, I cannot see your heart, so you have to be very discerning and also be imbued with a lot of wisdom to really read people’s motive.

    Your husband’s status as governor has denied you of his full attention, now he is going to the Senate. How do you feel?

    I rest my case (general laughter).

    Are you returning to your architectural field once you are done with public service?

    Do you know how long it took me to get qualified as an architect? Will you now advice me to abandon all of that? That is impossible. A professional remains a professional any day. Up till today, I still design for people…

    (Cuts in) Do you get paid for that?

    Sometimes, a few people are magnanimous to pay me, while others feel I don’t need the money. But by and large, architecture is a very rewarding profession.

    What is you most cherished possession?

    The Holy Bible! If you don’t dwell in that word, you will regret any step you take.

    I know you have two boys, any plan of adding a girl?

    (Laughs) I have a daughter and by God’s grace, I will have more.

  • Step out in style with AGBADA

    Step out in style with AGBADA

    GUESS what’s back in vogue after a short time off the red carpet? Agbada garbs! These elegant and sophisticated designs have made a sudden and dramatic return to the social scene. As we all know, one of the secrets of a great-looking dress is the fabulous design and its distincti38, 39, 40 TREND 21-3-15.ve cut.
    Agbada, these days, are a must-have for men of style who need to look classy and different. This well-tailored, trendy, flowing and long robe for men is another men’s fashion wear that cannot go out of men’s wardrobes. The length and style of buba and sokoto may change or vary, but the agbada will remain the same.
    Agbada, also known as babariga, has had the same shape or style for ages without changing. It is a fashion material that men can’t get tired of. Agbada, which can be referred to as men’s boubou because of its roomy and flowing pattern, is worn by all groups of people in Nigeria, but it is mostly used by Yoruba and Hausa.
    The agbada designs are getting more stylish, and designers are experimenting with any material. They are sown with any material, but the most popular agbada products are from guinea brocade, damask and aso oke.

  • Their advert style, their strength

    Their advert style, their strength

    Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate Akinwumi Ambode and his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) counterpart Mr. Jimi Agbaje have been trying to outdo each other in their ongoing campaign for the exalted seat. They are exploring different creative tools in their campaigns, reports ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI.

    A campaign advert contains what a candidate wants to share with voters. It is to get those who share his ideas to support him. The message often consists of several talking points about policy issues.

    The points summarise the main ideas of the campaign and are repeated frequently to create a lasting impression on the voters.

    In many elections, the opposition party tries to get the candidate “off message” by raising issues not related to the talking points. Most campaigns prefer to keep the message broad in order to attract potential voters.

    A message that is too narrow can alienate voters or slow the candidate down by trying to explain details.

    In the 2008 American presidential election, John McCain originally used a message that focused on patriotism and political experience. The short and crisp message was Country First. It was later changed to shift attention to his role as: “The Original Maverick” within the political establishment.

    President Barack Obama ran on a consistent, simple message of “change” throughout his campaign. However, even if the message was crafted carefully, it does not assure the candidate victory at the polls. For a winning candidate, the message is refined and then becomes his or her’s in office.

    In the ongoing electioneering in Lagos State, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate Mr Akinwunmi Ambode has shown is keeping the discussions cerebral and issues-based.  This is evident in his radio and television commercials.

    In the commercial with a simple theme message, “Believe”, Ambode rallies people to believe in Lagos as the place where they can play their part and fulfil their potential. Boasting an intimidating array of leading Nollywood actors including Desmond Elliot, Funke Akindele, MI, Banky W, Yemi Alade, Uti, youths, professionals, traders and artisans, the commercial takes the word “Believe” to a whole new level.

    The campaign presents people of different social strata: youths, professionals, artisans, parents, leading artistes, traders, key opinion formers from diverse ethnic backgrounds expressing their aspirations, belief in Lagos. The main character, Ambode, however, did not differ: “I believe together we can build the Lagos of our dreams.”

    Pictured as a core democrat, Ambode rallies the people, singing, “I believe in the power of you and I. I believe together, we’ll fly. I believe in the power that comes from a world brought together as one.”

    To connect with the youth demography, Ambode’s campaign song explores ‘emotion’ to win the youth, particularly the students into his vision. The television commercial opens with an undergraduate who focuses on achieving her potentials through academic success. The female cast voices her belief: “there comes a moment when my heart must choose on this great path I’ve chosen. Like a house that is a home. Sometimes I feel like it’s not enough and I know that we can’t give up. You’ve willed me to be all I can be. Now nothing can stop me.”

    The commercial also enlightens electorate on the need to vote wisely and present people of different social classes in Lagos, their aspiration and belief in Lagos.

    “This is the moment we have dreamed of all our lives.” She swiftly focuses on fellow youths with the lyrics: “We’ll be the change we wish from others; we’ll stand tall for what is right. And in my heart, there’ll be no doubt. The arms of the world will come reaching out; and embrace me to be all I can be! Now nothing can stop me!,” the Female voice sings.

    However, to re-connect audience to Ambode’s agenda for the state, she thumbprints her belief: “I believe Lagos is the place, where I can achieve my full potential” and some professionals join her to sing the theme song with her: ‘I believe Lagos gives me the best opportunities.’ These groups were later joined by an upcoming guitar-clutching musician who jumps-off a tricycle, popularly called, “Keke Maruwa” and also declares ‘I believe Lagos gives me a stage to conquer the world.’ The campaign also delivers key promises in the areas of youth development.

    Traders and artisans take turns to express. With the fact that Ambode is contesting under the platform of the ruling party in the state, the campaign ads raises issue of continuity considering the number of big projects such as Eko Mega City among others, which will enhance the profile of Lagos state across the globe.

    With the cosmopolitan nature of Lagos, the commercial shows an Igbo man saying “Nna men! I believe Lagos is a place where you can come from your village and make it big!” Also, an Hausa brother choruses “Walai, I believe Lagos is a place where you can do your business and practise your religion with peace of mind.”

    The campaign also explores celebrity endorsement model to deepen Ambode’s campaign messages as celebrities express belief in their special areas ranging from arts, entertainment, youth empowerment, guarantee for children’s future, qualitative education, peaceful coexistence and individual aspirations. One of the celebs, Banky W says: “I believe ain’t no party like the Lagos party. Turn up!”

    For Jimi Agbaje, the campaign commercials explore various musical genres such as Hip Hop, Fuji and Juju to drive his campaign promise using English language, Pidgin English and Yoruba as a means of communication. The campaign songs come in various headings as sub-theme of the central campaign direction: “Bold Ideas and New Opportunities.”

    In one of his campaign adverts, Agbaje’s creative team shows their candidates vision for the education sector and his deep concern for moral decadence.  Little wonder, it explores a child cast who admonishes other children to listen to their parents in order for them to become worthy leaders of tomorrow. In the introductory part of the English version, the child cast urged the parents to vote Agbaje on the promise of good education. The campaign ads also reveal Agbaje’s intention to transform Lagos under another sub-theme.

  • Strut 2015 in style

    Strut 2015 in style

    As we have discussed in invogue about the clothes,jewelry and bag.it is time to talk about shoes for 2015.As we all know,shoes enhance the attractiveness of legs and stylish dress.And no other set of shoes will capture the imagination of fashion buffs this season as gladiators,sneakers,peep toe shoe,wedge,flat,stilettos and strap sandals.Nothing guarantees you that special look than stylish and perfectly cut shoes.I have always belived that a beautiful shoe is useless unless  it feels as wonderful as it looks.So,make sure that they fit properly in the store before paying for it.

    Below are some of the shoes that will capture the imagination this year.

    -Knee-length boot-All hail the return of the stunning and perfectly fitting knee-length boot

    -sneaker shoe-sneakers with heels their elevation may differ in centimerters and thickness

    -peep toe shoes-it is a simple yet solid shoe that allows a lady to show off her lovely feet while just revealing a bit of the toes

    -wedge shoes-there are three varieties of wedge that are in vouge now;the wedge sandals ,wedge shoe and the wedge slippers.A wedge shoe  is guaranteed to make you look chic.

    -stilettos-everything you could want in a pair of sexy high heels,from strap sandals.peeps toe to covered shoes.stilettos,after the 80s disappeared and reappeared they are most  elegant shoes for 2015.They are a must have for women of style,who need to look classy and different.

    -flat shoes-these well-balanced,trendy and funky shoes are another women foot wear that cannot go out of fashion.The pattern and style may vary per season but the flat shoes will forever remain in fashion.

    -pump metalic-These shoes have had almost the same shape for ages without changing.it is a fashion material that women can’t get tired of.

    -Bow shoes-otherwise known as butterfly shoes is the new trend in town.

    -To- much shoes and bags[italian shoes]-Though they are fading out mainly because of the colour blocking era;neverthless,these set of bags and shoes have their popularity too.Italian shoes with matching pair of a bag are the high shindig favourite to watch  out for.they are getting more stylish and designers are experimenting with mix fabric.

    -Gladiator shoes-strappy gladiator have their roots in ancient rome and greece where people wore them to war.Today’s gladiator are more stylish and are usually worn with skirts and knee length dresses.Certain basic are essesntial while wearing gladiator shoes such as taking care of your feet and sometimes painting your nails,since your feet will get quite some attention when wearing these strappy shoes.

  • National security and leadership style

    For obvious reasons, and due to the myriad of security challenges confronting the Nigerian nation, there is a mistaken trend that perhaps the best leader to infuse discipline and engender national security is a man or woman with a military mien, a person who can order people around. In short, a fearsome leader, or a Draconian despot, that forces people to cower under his breath and at whose command the endemic corruption that has perennially plagued the country would just fly away. These thoughts cannot but be naive; it’s like a man who thinks his wishes are horses.

    But why do Nigerians seem to embrace this erroneous and troubling notion that their security or safety lies in the hands of a so-called “No-Nonsense” leader? The reasons are both historical and contemporary. First, the governance history of Nigeria since independence in 1960 has been burdened by incompetent administrations and blighted by series of interventionist military coup d’états, the consequence of which has brutally militarised the collective psyche of the citizenry. This makes people to believe, albeit wrongly, that it is only the man in uniform or his retired clone that is capable of re-ordering and re-orientating the Nigerian people. So, let us seek another Praetorian guard to carry out a surgical operation for us, many people seem to be saying this time around!

    But history again, even from the Nigerian example, has fatally faulted this line of reasoning. It is incontrovertible that such an approach does not endure in instituting desired changes; its success is short-lived as it is enforced through coercive decrees, cruel, unjust and inhuman adjudication process. Human nature abhors oppression in any form.

    The second contemporary factor why many citizens thirst for a dictator, even though he is in a fake democratic garb, is multi-faceted. One major reason is undoubtedly attributable to the agonisingly embarrassing failure of the incumbent administration to frontally confront the numerous security and safety issues Nigerians face on daily basis. Some of these are a breakdown of the law and order system, impunity and rampant lawlessness by both high and low, increasing rates of crimes, kidnappings for ransom, abductions, bloody skirmishes and tensions between rival ethnic groups across large swath of the nation, and the unspeakable crimes being routinely committed by the murderous terrorist insurgents called Boko Haram.

    This ad infinitum list of security failures has justifiably made people to lose faith in the capacity of the current, clueless administration to carry out its first constitutional responsibility of  protecting lives and property of the citizenry. The tendency therefore is to seek out a man who as they say, “brooks no nonsense and tolerates no opposition.”  But that will only compound the present security dilemma of Nigeria as the issue of sustainable national security is not achievable by fiat or by electing a ruthless leader with the swagger stick.

    Issues of national security in modern times transcends merely installing a regime of local diktat; it involves building a nexus of collaborative military, paramilitary and civil  institutions, and the gathering and sharing of national and cross-border intelligence to enhance safety and health of the nation and its citizens. Most importantly, modern concept of national security is largely anchored on the economic well-being of a nation, while the military-industrial complex plays complementary but also vital role in the scheme of sustainable peace and tranquility in any country. In other words, the economic indicators determine to a large extent the level of peace and stability enjoyed by the citizenry.

    It is inarguable; therefore, that the major plank in any nation’s security platform is its economy. A nation’s security can only be enhanced when its labor force, especially its youth, are gainfully employed, and there is a creation of welfare schemes to serve as safety nets to those unable to work or are physically challenged. This is what is operational in advanced, and young, stable democracies all over the world. It is a universal fact that when people are gainfully engaged they have less or no time for brewing trouble. But the idle hand is the devil’s workshop.

    Also, modern thoughts and practices have since discountenanced the traditional notion that national security is limited to acquisition and warehousing of huge military hardware; neither is it just about displaying formidable military force nor traditional military activity though all these may be included in the overall security architecture of a nation. It is essential to know however that development is nowadays sine qua non to any nation’s security.

    Development in this context relates to the capacity of a nation to utilise its human and capital potentials to optimally provide opportunities for its citizens to dream and realise those desires in a conducive and well-structured environment. It is when this is achieved consistently over a period of time or on a sustainable basis that the society experiences noticeable decline in disorder and violence and its security is subsequently and correspondingly enhanced. This holistic approach to national security has been the view of a one-time, but now late, respected President of the World Bank, Robert McNamara.

    In addition to the above, other means of boosting national security and arresting the current breakdown of law and order and the rule of law in the country are running a truly federal system of government where much power is devolved to the states, including the power to create state police. This means additional job opportunities and enhanced capacity to institute community policing to fight crimes, especially at local levels.

    National security could be further enhanced through proper delineation of national, state and council boundaries to reduce communal clashes and needless inter and intra-ethnic tensions; to properly equip and train the police to fight crimes and internal disorder while the military should be well-funded and equipped to effectively dismantle and destroy the scourge of terrorism in the country

    In conclusion, it is obvious from the above that a democratic Nigeria of the 21st century really doesn’t need an Orwellian Napoleon,  who is always right and must be obeyed. This is a federal democracy that is fostered through healthy debates, dialogues and discourse. It is not a command economy or unitary state that responds to the dictates, decrees and is ruled by whims and caprices of a single strong person, no matter how Spartan in stuff.  That era is passé.

    Citizens are therefore enjoined in a nascent democracy like ours to be wary of politicians seeking their votes for the highest office in the land to know that what Nigeria mostly need at this time is not the emergence of a leader who rules by bravado, or creates hysteria among citizens but a well-groomed and well-grilled democrat, whose policy  agenda is similar to the template above, and whose antecedents are well known as someone who is a bridge builder and is committed to strengthen the nation’s fragile key institutions.

     

    – Dr. Segun Olanipekun is Associate Professor of Journalism, Warwick University, DC, U.S.

  • Style secret

    FIT is everything. There is no way around it, if the gown is ill-fitting. It just won’t work. The most important thing  is to make sure that you have a really good fit. If things don’t fit right, then you are going to be tugging at them or pulling them up or you have to worry about weird undergarments.

    Have a back-up plan

    Even if you have your heart set on a gown, it’s always a good idea to have two or three options on hand.

    Carefully consider undergarments

    Whether it’s full-body armour to hold everything in place or a flesh-toned slip, what you wear underneath the gown can pretty much make or break your red carpet look.

    Wear comfortable heels

    You cannot always expect to find fabulous strappy heels that match perfectly to your dress and fit comfortably. “A really good trick that I always have in my kit is spray deodorant,” says Peden- a style consultant “A lot of the time shoes are a little too small and this often leads to swollen or sweaty feet. So, deodorant actually helps shoes fit better.” Spray deodorant inside of the heel of your shoe before heading out. “Your foot slides in and it just stays cool and dry”.

    Practice your red carpet pose

    You want to work your dress in front of the cameras and not the other way around.

  • Mo Abudu celebrates 50 in style

    Mo Abudu celebrates 50 in style

    The Grand Ball Room of Oriental Hotel, Lagos, on Saturday, witnessed an exceptional gathering of personalities, who joined popular TV entrepreneur, Mo Abudu to celebrate her 50 birthday.

    The presence of these men and women of class gave credence to the popularity of Abudu, CEO of EbonyLife TV, a station touted as Africa’s first global black entertainment and lifestyle network.

    Some of the guests at the event are, governor of Cross River State, Senator Liyel Imoke, his wife Obioma Imoke and his predecessor, Mr. Donald Duke.

    Others are, Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State, Chief Dele Momodu, Hon. Abike Dabiri, Genevieve Nnaji, Tiwa Savage, Funke Akindele, Basketmouth, Tonye Cole, Mai Atafo, Julius Agwu, Iyanya, Adesuwa Onyenokwe, Joseph Benjamin, Uti Nwachukwu, Bode Pedro, Uche Pedro, Niyola, Ebuka Obi Uchendu, Pastor Ituah and Olisa Adibua.

    Celebrated as a success story of African women in general, Abudu used the occasion to further inspire her folks, whom she said have got more to offer the society in their personal lives and businesses.

    Tagged “Mo@ 50…Celebrating Sisterhood”, Abudu, through the black tie event , gave awards to 10 categories of people she described as unsung heroes for their quiet but extraordinary and exemplary achievements.

    The event also witnessed resounding performances from music artistes such as Tiwa Savage, Chidinma, Seyi Shay, Yinka Davies, Ara, Waje and Ghanaian singer, Efya among others.

    No doubt, Abudu has created impact with her channel, which occupies the popular Tinapa Studios in Calabar, airing on DSTV Channel 165, as well as in the UK on the TalkTalk platform. The channel is known for providing premium home-grown programmes to its viewership.

    Abudu, for her outstanding work in the media and service to humanity, has been honoured with many laurels, including Forbes Media’s recognition as the first African woman to launch a Pan-African TV channel.

  • The scribblers and their style

    Book: Lost For Words
    Author: Edward St. Aubyn
    No. of pages: 261 pages
    Publishers: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
    Reviewer: By Michiko Kakutani

    In recounting the story of his semi-autobiographical hero, Patrick Melrose, in a series of interlinked novels (“Never Mind,” “Bad News,” “Some Hope,” “Mother’s Milk” and “At Last”), Edward St. Aubyn established himself as a dazzling writer with an utterly distinctive voice. The harrowing story of Patrick’s life — from being raped at 5 by his monstrous father, to his years as a heroin addict, to his achievement of a measure of perspective and peace in middle age — was simultaneously heartbreaking and funny, devastatingly sad and cuttingly acerbic: painful experience transmuted into art through beautifully hammered, aphoristic prose.

    His new novel, “Lost for Words,” is a very different sort of book: a satirical romp that showcases just one octave of Mr. St. Aubyn’s keyboard of gifts: his Waugh-like talent for comedy and his unsparing eye for people’s pretensions and self-delusions.

    In the Melrose novels, the world that Mr. St. Aubyn so expertly skewered was the high-altitude one of British aristos — preening, narcissistic and obsessed with class. In “Lost for Words,” it’s the world of literary politics — preening, narcissistic and obsessed with status.

     

    More specifically, the object of satire here is book awards: most notably, the well-known Man Booker Prize, depicted in barely disguised terms as the Elysian Prize. British newspaper writers have suggested that “Lost for Words” is actually a riposte or act of revenge on the part of Mr. St. Aubyn, noting that his critically acclaimed 2006 novel, “Mother’s Milk,” was a front-runner for the Man Booker Prize that year, only to be passed over for “The Inheritance of Loss,” by Kiran Desai, and that his similarly acclaimed “At Last” did not even make the Booker’s 2011 longlist. (In a twist the author might enjoy, “Lost for Words” has just been awarded the 2014 Wodehouse Prize for comic fiction.)

    Both the judges on the panel for the Elysian Prize and the hopeful authors of submitted books are sent up here with a light, wicked hand reminiscent at once of Evelyn Waugh and Muriel Spark. The chairman of the prize committee is an obscure member of Parliament named Malcolm Craig, who accepts the post out of boredom with his day job and the hopes that it might secure him “a decent amount of public attention.”

    “We want to take the marginalised, and the politically repressed voices from the periphery,” he says, “from what we might call the Outer Hebrides of the literary scenes, and bring them center stage.”

    Another judge, Jo Cross, is a high-profile columnist who writes about her husband and children, and who values books with “relevance” to her own readers, above all else. Then there are Tobias Benedict, an actor who’s too busy touring the country playing Estragon in a hip-hop adaptation of “Waiting for Godot” to read most of the submissions; and Penny Feathers, a former member of the Foreign Office who now writes cheesy thrillers. The only judge with anything resembling legitimate literary credentials is an academic named Vanessa Shaw, regarded as an elitist and defender of the old guard for prizing old-fashioned good writing.

    As for the novelists, they’re an equally self-deluding lot. Sam Black, the author of “The Frozen Torrent” — “a bildungsroman of impeccable anguish and undisguised autobiographical origin” — is obsessively in love with the beauteous and seemingly unattainable Katherine Burns, another writer, who is enraged with her editor and lover, Alan, who through some terrible mix-up failed to submit her novel (“Consequences”) to the prize committee and instead sent in an Indian cookbook (“The Palace Cookbook”), written by the regal aunt of another Elysian Prize aspirant, a wealthy panjandrum named Sonny from India, who believes that his magnum opus, “The Mulberry Elephant,” is destined to win world recognition.

    Among the novels singled out by the judges as top contenders for the prize are: “a harsh but ultimately uplifting account of life on a Glasgow housing estate,” titled “wot u starin at” (which sounds like a bad parody of an Irvine Welsh novel); Tobias’s favorite, “All the World’s a Stage,” a novel by a young New Zealander, writing from the point of view of William Shakespeare; “The Enigma Conundrum,” a page turner about the Enigma code-breaking operation during World War II, which gets a definite thumbs-up from Penny; and “The Palace Cookbook,” which is championed by several of the judges as an ingenious, postmodern confection — not the cookbook it so obviously is.

    Mr. St. Aubyn has a lot of fun giving us samples from these novels that underscore his gift for mimicry and parody, while at the same time charting the political alliances and alliances of convenience that develop among the judges as they jockey for position and influence, extracting — and trading — promises of support as if they were Iowa caucus voters, not judges of literary merit.

    American readers might not get all the inside dishing and digs — for instance, that Penny Feathers appears to have been modeled on Dame Stella Rimington, a former director-general of MI5 turned thriller writer, who was the chairwoman of the 2011 Man Booker prize committee. But Mr. St. Aubyn writes with such twinkling comic verve here that the reader couldn’t care less about possible real-life antecedents.

    And while “Lost for Words” doesn’t have the depth or resonance of Mr. St. Aubyn’s Melrose novels, it’s not meant to. It’s simply an entertaining cartwheel of a book with a glittering razor’s edge.

     

    •Culled from New York Times

  • Celebrating 50 in style

    Rev. Olalekan Adeleke of The Shepherds Flock International Church in Ikeja, the Lagos State capital, has marked his 50th birthday. The event was held at Moremi Alatede Kitchen Restaurant and Bar in Ikeja, Lagos. OLATUNDE ODEBIYI reports.

    THE Moremi Alatede Kitchen Restaurant and Bar in Ikeja, the Lagos State capital, was filled with business associates, friends, family and church members of Rev. Olalekan Adeleke of The Shepherds Flock International Church last Sunday.

    They came to celebrate with him on his 50th birthday. Rev Adeleke is  also the Chief Executive Officer of Alpha Multibrand Solution Ltd.

    It was a gathering of the old and the young. Many came from church and were in traditional attires. Few wore English dresses.

    Chairs were arranged round tables with fruits on them. A banner with the celebrator’s big picture and a “Happy 50th birthday” inscription   written on it was by the door.

    Guests were served continental and local dishes and non-alcoholic wine.

    When the birthday ‘boy’ came into the bar, he was all smiles in sky blue Buba and Sokoto with gold cap. His wife, Love, who wore the same attire, ushered him in. He went round to greet the guests.

    The party started after his entry.

    The opening prayer was said by Rev Albert Atunnise while Olubukola Durojaiye led the praise and worship session. It was followed by the rendition of the hymn, “Great is thy faithfulness”.

    The event continued with testimonies about the celebrator.

    Group Captain Tunji Ibitokun, described the celebrator as a resource person. “He is good, loving, nice, caring and wonderful,” he said.

    Rev Atunnise described the celebrator as a mentor, a faithful Christian and a good friend.

    The celebrator’s sister, Mrs Folashade Odusoga, described him as a role model and a man of his words who taught his siblings faithfulness, sincerity and integrity.

    “He is always there to stand by you and he is someone you can trust and depend on. He is caring and a brother indeed. I call him daddy because that is what he is to me. I thank God for his life,” Mrs Odusoga said.

    One of his workers, Michael Asekhame, said: “I have learnt a lot from him. He is a good boss.”

    Mrs Adeleke wished her husband many more fruitful years, adding: “He is caring, supportive and never tired of praying and I thank God for his life and that of the ministry.”

    The celebrator said God has been gracious to him, adding: “I feel very happy whenever I have the opportunity to worship God because I enjoy the presence of God.”

    After the testimonials, the birthday cake was cut. It had chocolate and sky-blue  colours with a figure 50 shape.

    The celebrator, his wife and children took photographs. Guests moved to the serving point to relish the cuisine.

    After eating, they settled down for the sermon, which was delivered by Rev Teny Akinyemi.

    The cleric said celebrating 50 is worthwhile because life expectancy in Nigeria is below that. He said the celebrator is living a life of focus, fulfillment and purpose.

    After the sermon, Mrs Adeleke gave the vote of thanks and the closing hymn: “Our God our help in ages past” followed.

  • Style secret

    Style secret

    •Fit is everything

    There is no way around it if the gown is ill-fitting, it just won’t work. The most important thing to looking good is to make sure that you have a really good fit. If things don’t fit right, then you are going to be tugging at them or pulling them up or you have to worry about weird undergarments.

     

    •Have a back-up plan

    Even if you have your heart set on a gown, it’s always a good idea to have two or three options on hand.

     

    •Carefully consider undergarments

    Whether it’s full-body armour to hold everything in place or a flesh-toned slip, what you wear underneath the gown can pretty much make or break your red carpet look.

     

    •Wear comfortable heels

    You cannot always expect to find fabulous strappy heels that match perfectly to your dress and fit comfortably. “A really good tricky one that I always have in my kit is spray deodorant,” says Peden – a style consultant. “A lot of the time, shoes are a little too small and this often leads to swollen or sweaty feet. So, spray deodorant actually help shoes fit better.” Spray deodorant inside of the heel of your shoe before heading out. “Your foot slides in and it just stays cool and dry.”

     

    •Practice your red carpet pose

    You want to work your dress in front of the cameras and not the other way around.