Philip Begho facts for kids

Philip Begho (born on January 11, 1956) is a famous Nigerian writer. He has written over forty books, including plays, novels, short stories, and poems. He also writes books for children.

Philip Begho was born in Warri, Delta State. His father was from the Itsekiri group, and his mother was of mixed race. He went to King's College in Lagos for high school. Later, he studied law at the University of Lagos and the University of London (London School of Economics).

Today, Philip Begho is a full-time writer. But he has also worked as a journalist, a banker, and a lawyer. He even taught at a university. He creates stories for movies, TV, radio, and the stage. Many of his plays have won awards. He also writes songs and non-fiction books.

About Philip Begho

His Early Life and Schooling

Philip Begho started elementary school at Grange School in Ikeja, Lagos. When his father, who was a chief judge, moved to Benin City, Philip continued his schooling there. He attended Emotan Private School.

In 1967, he joined King's College in Lagos. He began writing for his school's publications, The Searchlight and The Mermaid, when he was just eleven years old.

During his middle school years, Philip was very adventurous. At age thirteen, he got lost exploring a path in the bush. He said he saw strange things, which might have inspired his children's fantasy stories later on. He was also a talented athlete. He represented his school and Lagos State in high jump and pole vault. In his final year, he was the vice-school captain.

After finishing school, he worked as a reporter for the Nigerian Observer. In 1974, he started studying law at the University of Lagos. He won a scholarship in 1975 for doing well in his studies. He graduated with honors in 1977 and became a lawyer in 1978.

Starting His Career

After becoming a lawyer in 1978, Philip Begho joined the National Youth Service Corps. He was sent to Jos in Plateau State. His main job was to do research at the Police Staff College. During this year, he began to wonder if law was the right career for him. He felt it was too strict for his creative mind.

He wrote a poem about his feelings. As he held the poem, he realized that writing was what he truly wanted to do. He decided to become a novelist.

To earn money, he first worked at a law firm in 1979. He also tried being a businessman, hoping to make enough money to write freely. When that didn't work out, he went to the London School of Economics in 1980 to get his master's degree in law.

In 1981, after getting his master's degree, he took a job with Citibank N.A. in Glyfada, Greece. It was a good job, but he still didn't have time to write. He returned to Nigeria in 1982 and taught at the University of Benin.

In 1983, he quit teaching to focus on writing. He used his savings to write three novels. Two of them, Alero: of Dreams... and The Lecturer’s Dilemma, were accepted for publishing. However, they were never published because of economic problems in Nigeria.

With his money gone, he decided to go back to law. He opened his own law firm in Lagos in 1984. Before moving to the UK in 1987, he wrote and published his law book, Company Formation: Precedents on Objects of Incorporation, in 1986.

His Writing Journey

When Philip Begho arrived in London in July 1987, he decided to fully commit to writing. He knew he had to make sacrifices. He took cleaning jobs that only lasted a few hours in the evenings. This left his afternoons free to train for his writing career in libraries.

In late 1988, he started writing his first play, Esther. He spent two years researching and planning the story. In 1991, he began writing the dialogue. He says he suddenly gained the ability to write in verse, which he had always wanted to do. The verse in Esther is described as strong and graceful. He finished Esther in December 1991 and returned to Nigeria by March 1992.

In 1993, despite power outages and social unrest in Lagos, he wrote another verse play called Daniel. Both Esther and Daniel were entered for the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) Drama Prize in 1994. Esther won first place, and Daniel came second.

Daniel was the first play to be performed. It was staged in December 1994 at the University of Lagos and the MUSON Centre. The play was very popular because its themes spoke to people's struggles at the time. Famous Nigerian actors like Joke Silva performed in it. Daniel (also known as Power of Lions) was published in 2001, and Esther followed in 2002.

In 2002, Philip Begho's third play, Job's Wife, also a verse play, was published. Job's Wife won the 2002 Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) Drama Prize.

Philip Begho writes more than just stage plays. He has written for television, radio, and film. He is also writing more novels these days. His novel Songbird won the 2003 Isidore Okpewho Prose Prize. It was also a finalist for the 2004 Nigeria Prize for Literature. His children's book Aunty Felicia won the 2003 ANA/Matatu Prize for Children's Literature. And Aunty Felicia Returns won the 2005 ANA/Atiku Abubakar Children's Literature Prize.

What His Stories Are About

Philip Begho believes that books and plays can greatly influence how people think. His stories, whether for kids or adults, often focus on important values. These include truth, fairness, and justice. He shows how these values can help fight problems in society. One critic even said he uses his writing to help people feel closer to God.

How He Writes

Philip Begho loves to add drama to his stories, even in his prose. His plots are exciting and make serious topics interesting. He also likes to mix prose with poetry, making his writing beautiful and flowing. Even though he uses verse, his writing is simple, clear, and fun to read.

Life Beyond Writing

Philip Begho is an Evangelical Christian. He says that a special experience in 1986 changed his life. He believes that God guides his work and helps him write so much. When he is not writing, he offers Christian advice and helps people with their careers. He also runs fun play-and-learn groups for children. He enjoys going to the theatre, watching movies, listening to music, dancing, walking, playing tennis, badminton, and swimming.

Awards and Prizes

• Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) Drama Prize 1994
• Lire en Fête Short Story 1st Prize 2001
• ANA/NDDC JP Clark-Bekederemo Prize for Drama 2002
• ANA/Matatu Prize for Children's Literature 2003
• Isidore Okpewho Prose Prize 2003
• ANA/Atiku Abubakar Prize for Children's Literature 2005

See also

• List of African writers
• List of African poets