Crown of Blood

Oladipo ‘Dipo’ Agboluaje is a playwright and academic. His first play Early Morning was produced in 2003 at Oval House Theatre in South London; it was followed by a string of original plays, adaptations and radio plays. His first collection of plays, Plays One, was published by Oberon in 2014. His writing deals with identity and belonging, and the African Diasporic condition. He is the 2009 winner of the Alfred Fagon prize for playwriting for his play Iya-Ile (The First Wife). Iya-Ile was also nominated for an Olivier Award that same year. Set in Nigeria during military rule, Iya-Ile is a prequel to his 2006 play The Estate. Oladipo has also published a number of poems and short stories. He now finds himself writing more for young audiences, setting plays in alternate worlds. His influences for this crop of work stems from a youth spent devouring science fiction and fantasy novels, and comic books. He reviews essay submissions for the African Performance Review journal and has taught creative writing and post-colonial theatre at several universities.