Anindita Sengupta

Upcoming writers, photographers and musicians, the annual Toto Funds the Arts awards are here again and anyone below the age of 30 can apply in these categories. Here are the details on the writing awards. If you want details on the other awards, write to me and I’ll forward them you can just click here.

TOTO FUNDS THE ARTS (TFA) invites entries for its fourth annual TOTO awards for Indian creative writers in English. Two cash awards of Rs. 25,000 each will be given in January, 2009. Entries are only invited from young people — over the age of 18, and who have not celebrated their 30th birthday before 1 January 2009. The spirit of the Toto Awards is to identify promise and encourage young talent. Therefore, do not submit an entry if you are already an established writer.TFA is looking for entries in three genres –– short plays, short stories and poetry.

The submissions should not exceed 7,500 words. You can submit any combination of your writing in the above genres, as long as the entire submission is within the stipulated word limit. Entries should reach TOTO FUNDS THE ARTS (TFA) by 4 October 2008 at the latest. There will be no extension of the submission date. Address:TOTO FUNDS THE ARTS (TFA), H 301 Adarsh Gardens, 8th Block, 47th Cross, Jayanagar, Bangalore 560 082, Phone: 080-26990549

Entries should be sent in soft e-mail copy to totofundsthearts@yahoo.com as well in hard copy form to the above address. Please address queries to the same e-mail ID.

THE FINE PRINT:

Entries must be accompanied by a signed statement confirming the applicant’s date of birth, whether the applicant’s work has been published in print (give details), and also affirming that the submitted work is original. Please ensure that the hard copy does not carry your name on it. Submitted entries will be given code numbers to protect applicants’ identities from the jury during the judging process. Submitted material will not be returned. The decision of the TFA jury is final and cannot be contested in any forum.

Also, Caferati and LiveJournal are inviting entries for Quicktales, their flash fiction contest. Details here.

UPDATE: Toto Funds the Arts has just started their own blog. If you’re in Bangalore, it’s a great way of staying updated on readings, events etc. See here.

So Orange Jammies at Wisdom Wears Neon Pyjamas has, in all her infinite wisdom, decided to give me this. And because I’m such a generous soul, I am getting over my love of shiny things and actually passing this on. Well, actually, because the rules say so.

The Brilliant Weblog award is a prize given to sites and blogs that are smart and brilliant both in their content and their design. The purpose of the prize is to promote as many blogs as possible in the blogosphere.

• When you receive the prize you must write a post showing it, together with the name of who has given it to you, and link them back.
• Choose a minimum of 7 blogs (or even more) that you find brilliant in their content or design.
• Show their names and links and leave them a comment informing they were prized with the Brilliant Weblog Award.
• Show a picture of those who awarded you and those you give the prize (optional).
• And then we pass it on!

So the Brillante Weblog Award goes to…

1. Iz for Audacious: She’s pink. She’s gutsy. She’s hilarious. She writes about family and love and dogs (and often love for dogs) with equal aplomb. She does the personal post with such style and she’s more fun than cheesecake.

2. Anita Bora for Just A Little Something: Travel stories. Food stories. And great photographs of places all over India. She’s a window into the life I wish I was living.

3. Gopal for Which Main, What Cross: He captures my city so lovingly, frame by frame. His images get the soul of this in-flux, traffic-weary, often confusing city and I go back to them to remind myself of it.

4. Karthik and Doz for Etcetera: As they say, their blog’s got a point, if only you can find it. While you’re at it, there’s heaps of interesting stuff to read.

5. Shilo for Across the Universe: Illustrations, photographs and other flights of imagination — all of it charming.

Okay, I know it says 7 but I’m going to stop here. Have fun checking out the links. Ta!

So, this Saturday, some of us will be reading / performing poetry. The event has been organised by Unisun to showcase the poems in their upcoming anthology. Jeet Thayil will be performing some of his poems. I will read one of Meena Kandasamy’s poems and two of my own. The Rajas will be performing some of the other poems featured in the anthology. Should be fun. Drop by if you can.