Other

BBC World Service News Internet

The Cultural Frontline

Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media

The Cultural Frontline: where arts and news collide.

BBC World Service Australasia

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa Schedule

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa

BBC World Service Online

BBC World Service

BBC World Service South Asia

BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East

BBC World Service West and Central Africa Schedule

BBC World Service West and Central Africa

BBC World Service East Asia

BBC World Service schedule for American satellite radio and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean

The Cultural Frontline: Celebrating Commonwealth writing with HRH The Duchess of Cornwall

Magazines & Reviews

Celebrating Commonwealth writing with HRH The Duchess of Cornwall

04/06/2022 GMT

BBC World Service - The Cultural Frontline, Celebrating Commonwealth writing with HRH The Duchess of Cornwall

HRH The Duchess of Cornwall shares her passion for literature

HRH The Duchess of Cornwall discusses The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition, plus we hear from writers Chigozie Obioma, Nicole Dennis-Benn and Shehan Karunatilaka

The Commonwealth is an association of 54 countries from across the world. It’s home to a third of the world’s population including from Australia, India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Kenya to the UK, Canada and many island nations in between.

The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition is the world’s oldest international writing competition for schools. Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall talks to Tina Daheley about the competition. She also shares her passion for books and how her father instilled in her a love of reading.

The Duchess is also joined by two competition winners, Ethan Charles Mufuma from Uganda, Hiya Chowdhury from India.

We hear from Nigerian novelist Chigozie Obioma, author of The Fishermen and An Orchestra of Minorities.  He’s in conversation with the Jamaican writer of Here comes the Sun, and Patsy, Nicole Dennis-Benn. Both novelists explore the peoples and culture of their respective countries in their work and encourage the next generation of writers.

Shehan Karunatilaka is a Sri Lankan writer best known for his cricketing novel Chinaman: The Legend of Pradeep Mathew, which won the 2012 Commonwealth Book Prize and was recently chosen by the BBC as one of its Big Jubilee Reads, celebrating 70 books from across the Commonwealth. He told us about the work of art that has inspired him - the 1985 track 'Russians' by UK popstar Sting, about the Cold War threat of nuclear attack, a song that continues to carry a very human message.

Producer: Andrea Kidd

Image: The Queen Consort during a reception for winners of the Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition, at Buckingham Palace in London, November 2022 (Credit: Kirsty O'Connor/PA Wire)

Accessibility links

Programme Index

The Cultural Frontline

Celebrating Commonwealth writing with HRH The Duchess of Cornwall

Genres

Formats

Brand

BBC World Service News Internet

About BBC World Service