Caine Prize and the Arts Council

This week has been a busy one. The Caine Prize winner will be announced on Monday, and the five shortlisted candidates are in town - including my friend Stanley Kenani who has been shortlisted for the second time (the first time was in 2008).

So it was off to the Royal Overseas League on Thursday for the first of a series of panel discussions with the shortlisted writers. A very lively, robust and entertaining evening, made even more fun by the fact that Stanley had had a couple of glasses of wine before going on stage, which loosened his tongue marvellously. They were asked the question about whether they thought of themselves as African writers and the blue touch paper was lit. Stanley said he wasn't going to answer that question until writers from European countries were asked if they through of themselves as 'European writers'. "This question really pisses me off" he said. Fantastic stuff. He got a well-deserved round of applause.

Today it was the Royal African Society's 2 day festival at SOAS. Again, a most interesting discussion with the Caine Prize writers. Made more so for me by the addition of James Gibbs in the audience - a rare pleasure to have a chat with this grandee of the African Theatre world. I also took the opportunity of asking Dr Mpalive Msiska (reader in English at Birkbeck University) if he would be interested in chairing a Q&A with Jack during the run of the show. In theory he is - but a family wedding in Malawi slap bang in the middle of the run may de-rail the plan. We'll see.

Tomorrow I am back at SOAS for an event featuring Jack Mapanje and the publisher of his memoir, Becky Nana Ayebia. Looking forward to a stimulating discussion, and of course Jack is always very entertaining.

Other developments this week have included the confirmation of our Arts Council funding - a great relief - and the ensuing flurry of activity. I have now employed a Company Stage Manager, the lovely Kala Simpson, and a very talented young Lighting Designer, Charlie Jones. Charlie has some fab ideas, and it was a joy to talk some of them through with him. This is going to be a very exciting show!

expanding the team

And so the expansion continues ... today Amy and I held interviews for some new people, as we are overwhelmed by the amount of administration and organisation we have to do in the next few weeks. Found some great people, and offers have been made. I'll let you know if and when they're accepted!

This is an anxious time ... still waiting to hear from the Arts Council, fingers tightly crossed in anticipation. However, we're getting more and more people involved - Chickenshed are now official parters, and have given us some rehearsal space, which makes a massive difference, and I had a very positive meeting with Border Crossings on collaborations during the Africa Salon at The Africa Centre during August. We will be performing 'Crocodiles', and Border Crossings will be curating a series of African events, including a workshop delivered by our extraordinary company of multi-talented Malawians.

But still ... if the Arts Council don't come through, we can run the project but it will be on a shoestring, and very difficult to do. So we've got everything crossed. Trying not to think about it while I embark on the final re-write of Crocodiles.