Beauty David Nteugot
Samuel Marshall
Acclaimed novelist Sophilia Obire, celebrated for her enrapturing works such as “Caught in the Act,” “Kidnapped,” and “Wanted,” has added another honour to her name by emerging as the second runner-up in the GoSobo Writing Competitions, Season 1.
The five-week online contest, which concluded on 20th April 2025, welcomed submissions across all writing genres, including Sophilia’s forte – short stories. Out of 61 shortlisted contestants, her gripping entry, “DNA Saga,” was mind-boggling. The story, within the 900-word range, struck a chord with readers and received an impressive 2,324 votes, earning her a well-deserved award along with a monetary prize.
Expressing her elation to the Newswriter newspaper team during their visit, Sophilia recalled how it all seemed uncertain, initially, as the judges were not identified:
Said she, “Joining the competition was quite a risk because it was an online-based platform.”
Indeed, elements like who was evaluating competitors’ work remained unclear.
Asked to describe the award-winning work or to elaborate on its theme, she stated, “DNA Saga” seeks to combat the current trend of infidelity and correct infidelity. It aims to combat the psychological effect that feminine infidelity has on men, whereon a child from a cheating wife is forced on the husband.”.
She further explained that “DNA Saga, therefore addressed this through a perspective that involves legal considerations, where a man has a legal right to claim a child borne by his wife irrespective of the biological process.”
Sophilia invokes the Latin legal maxim “Quicquid plantatur solo, solo cedit”, meaning “Whatever is attached to the soil belongs to the soil.” Commonly applied in property law, this principle asserts that anything permanently affixed to land becomes part of it and is, therefore, owned by the landowner.
In the context of her story, Sophilia uses this principle metaphorically to suggest that a woman’s body, like land, implies the husband’s ownership over what forms within it. She explains, “The story features three characters: two men and one woman.”
The narrative delves into the complex dynamics of infidelity while also drawing a sharp contrast between biological and legal parenthood. Through this, readers are prompted to reflect on the ethical boundaries of ownership, identity, and responsibility.***
