| PAWA's newsletter (October to December 2024) |
| This is a newsletter of PAWA activities for the last quarter of 2024 |
| |  | OLUBUNMI FAMILONI WINS NLNG'S $100,000 LITERATURE PRIZE |
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Olubunmi Familoni, has won the 2024 edition of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) $100,000 Literature Prize.
As the winner of the competition which is open to Nigerian authors at home and abroad, he receives a cash prize of $100,000.
The Nigeria Prize for Literature award alternates among four literary genres: fiction, poetry, drama, and children’s literature. This year, the focus was on children’s literature. His children’s book, THE ROAD DOES NOT END was the winning entry. The two other shortlisted books were by Ndidi Chiazo-Eneamor and Uche Peter Umez.
According to the Advisory Board for the Nigeria Prize for Literature : '' Familoni's book addresses the critical issue of child labour in society. The book explores resilience and human connection themes, emphasising the importance of relationships and the need for continuous self-improvement”.
Obari Gomba, was the winner of the 2023 edition with his play: GRIT |
| |  | WOLE SOYINKA'S ''THE MAN DIED'' SCREENED IN ACCRA, GHANA |
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As part of activities to mark its 20th anniversary, the New York University (NYU) Accra, Ghana campus on October 11 2024 screened among other films, the film inspired by Wole Soyinka's Prison Memoir; THE MAN DIED.
The Film which was directed by Awam Ampa, a Professor of Drama at NYU is at the moment being reviewed by at least three major global streaming platforms and international distribution channels.
THE MAN DIED is currently on festival tours to Nigeria, Ghana, Europe, North America among other countries before going to the Cinemas.
Above picture shows, (Left to Right), the Film's Executive Producer, Femi Odugbemi, Dr Wale Okediran, Secretary General, Pan African Writers Association, as well as the Associate Producers, Jahman Anikulapo and Makin Soyinka at the event. |
| | |  | Cassava Republic Wins Canex Prize for Publishing |
| | | | The Secretary General of the Pan African Writers Association, Dr Wale Okediran who is also the Chairman of the Jury for the 2024 CANEX Prize for Publishing In Africa presenting the Prize winners last weekend in Algiers, Algeria. |
| | | PAWA'S BOOK OF THE WEEK (Week 28, Fourth Edition) In this fresh, spontaneous story that is infused with close family warmth, Prenda June Diakite from Mali joins forces with her award-winning author/artist father, Baba Wague Diakite to give a charming peek at everyday life in Mali. I LOST MY TOOTH IN AFRICA is a charming, original adventure children story about losing a first tooth while visiting family in Mali. More than anything, Amina wants to lose her tooth while visiting her family in Mali, West Africa. Only then can she put it under a gourd for the African tooth fairy, who will exchange it for two chickens! Happily this happens, and even better, the chickens lay eggs. But will the eggs hatch before it's time to return to America? I LOST MY TOOTH IN AFRICA which was written when the author was 12 years old and illustrated by her father is available on Amazon.com |
| |  | FOUR EBEDI FELLOWS LAUNCH A COLLECTION OF SHORT STORIES AND POEMS |
| Four Fellows of the Ebedi International Writers Residency, Iseyin, Nigeria, recently produced a book which was put together during their residency.
The book: A MOUTHFUL OF RIVERS by Omale Allen Abdul-jabbar, Seun Osho, Ayo Oyeku, and Nosakhare Collins is a collaborative work that wove together an intricate tapestry of narratives, inviting readers to embark on a poignant and evocative literary journey.
This remarkable collection offers a diverse range of voices, perspectives, and experiences. From tales of love and loss to reflections on cultural heritage and personal growth.
While Omale Allen Abdul-jabbar paints vivid landscapes with lyrical prose and poetry, Seun Osho interrogates the mysteries of the human psyche through a compelling story that navigate the depths of human nature.
Ayo Oyeku in his own way crafts an intricate children’s narrative, exploring the complexities of cultural identity with Nosakhare Collins capturing the essence of raw emotions through poignant and thought-provoking poems.
The book can be accessed through Collins on +234 813 044 6615 |
| |  | GEMSPREAD PUBLISHING SEEKS AUTHENTIC AFRICAN STORIES |
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GEMSPREAD Publishing, a digital publishing outfit has opened its Submissions Window for its new imprint HARMATTAN, 'dedicated to promoting and publishing aunthentic African stories from new and emerging authors of African descent.
This fact came to light during a recent visit by Ms Shalom Shaba, Director of Publication at GEMSPREAD to the Secretary General of the Pan African Writers Association (PAWA) Dr Wale Okediran in his Accra, Ghana office.
Ms Shaba (first right in above picture) who came with samples of GEMSPREAD'S published works was accompanied on the visit by Dr Kemi Wale-Olaitan, Acting Vice President, Africa University College Of Communication, Accra, Ghana.
Interested authors can send manuscripts through the link below: https://publishing.gemspread.com/blog/gemspread-publishing-opens-submissions-window |
| |  | 2024 African Writers Conference in Kigali, Rwanda |
| | |  | PAWA'S BOOK OF THE WEEK ( Week 29, Fourth Edition) |
| SAARA, by Ould Beirouk from Mauritania, is a novel characterized by a beautiful narrative style in a tangled story of characters, who were united by strangeness and chance and separated by the fluctuation of time and its spending. A young free woman, Saara, the book's protagonist is resplendent in the midst of the city's modesty. Also in the book are: a little deaf-mute beggar who hears everything and represses his anger. A Sheikh, wise among the wise of a peaceful oasis, disturbed by a forbidden passion. A corrupt administration, which wants to erect a dam on people's hearts. And a mountain from which strange rumblings escape in the evening. Beyrouk's poetry hovers above this poignant story. While he fiercely denounces social injustices, the great Mauritanian author also calls for respect for nature. He delivers to us an enchanting, sensual text, filled with spirituality and emotion. The book is available on Amazon.com |
| |  | The 2024 International African Writers Day Celebration. |
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The Pan African Writers Association hosted the 2024 International African Writers Day Celebration via Zoom.
Theme: Reprographic Rights and African Literature
Date: Thursday, November 7, 2024
Time: 2:00 PM GMT, 3:00 PM Nigeria, 4:00 PM SAT, and 5:00 PM NAT
The online panel discussion was conducted in both English and French.
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| |  | ANOTHER SLAVE NARRATIVE FROM THE GOLD COAST |
| Even though the final cessation of the Slave Trade took place in 1860, the barbaric practice is still the object of creative works all over the world.
By the last count, thousands of Books, Films and Musical compositions have been inspired by the gory accounts of the transantlatic slave trade. LADIMEH, a poignant and gripping tale of that sad period written by Ishmael Junourgh from Ghana, is a new addition to the unquenchable genre of Slave narratives.
In LADIMEH, the reader is taken through the gory and heart wrenching adventures of a baby who was plucked from her slave mother's breast and flunked into a thorny thicket to perish.
The captivating account of the child's survival, upringing and fortune is the basis of this fascinating novel which the author ( Left in the above picture) recently presented to Dr Wale Okediran, the Secretary General of the Pan African Writers Association in his Accra, Ghana office.
The author can be reached via brid...@gmail.com |
| | | PAWA CONGRATULATES THE ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIAN AUTHORS ON ITS 43RD ANNUAL CONVENTION The Pan African Writers Association (PAWA) has sent a congratulatory message to the Association Of Nigerian Authors (ANA) for its 43rd International Conference in Abuja from October 31st to November 2nd 2024. In a message jointly signed by PAWA'S President, John Rusimbi and the Secretary General, Dr Wale Okediran, the continental Writers body congratulated ANA for its deep and sustained commitment to Literature and Creativity. In addition to its magnificent Writers Village in Abuja, PAWA also applauded ANA's several literary activities which has consistently produced a plethora of outstanding writers and Literary works. One of the highlights of the 2024 Convention is the commissioning of the Ken Saro Wiwa International Writers Residency located in the association's 37 hectares property in Abuja. ANA was founded on 27th June 1981 with Prof Chinua Achebe as its founding President. |
| |  | PAWA'S BOOK OF THE WEEK (Week 30, Fourth Edition) |
| SILENCE OF THE CHAGOS by Shenaz Patel from Mauritius, is a powerful exploration of cultural identity, the concept of home, and above all the neverending desire for justice. Shenaz Patel draws on the lives of uprooted Chagossian activists in this tragic example of 20th century political oppression. With no explanation, and only an hour to pack, the Chagossians are deported from Diego Garcia and relocated to Mauritius. Charlesia in the story, mourns the loss of her life on Diego Garcia, where she spent her days working on a coconut plantation and her nights listening to séga music with her family and friends. Patel artfully reconstructs the lives of the Chagossians, whose cries for a return to their homeland are no longer being silenced. With the sovereignty of Chagos now a subject of international debate. The book, an important and timely examination of the rights of individuals in the face of governmental corruption is available on Amazon.com |
| | | PAWA'S VICE PRESIDENT, PROF EGARA KABAJI HONORED BY KENYA PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION The Vice President (East Africa) for the Pan African Writers Association (PAWA), Prof Egara Kabaji has been named by the Kenya Publishers Association as one of the “notable 25 Kenyan authors” from the last two and a half decades. The Kenya Publishers Association (KPA), which was founded in 1972 made the announcement on Sunday September 22 2024. Also on the list of the notable authors are the renowned icon of African Literature, Prof Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Rebecca Nandwa as well as the late Binyavanga Wainaina, among others. Egara Kabaji who is a Professor of Literary Communication at Masinde Muliro University in Kenya is the author of 30 books some of which are on the reading list of East African schools. His novel, THE MAKING OF A FILM STAR is one of the titles on the UN SDG Book Club Africa Chapter's list of books promoting the SDG 8. |
| |  | PAWA'S BOOK OF THE WEEK (Week 31, Fourth Edition) |
| THE LAST CHAPTER by Leila Abouzeid from Morocco, is a thought-provoking, semi-autobiographical book about Aisha, a young Moroccan woman, and her struggles to find an identity in the Morocco of the second half of the twentieth century. Charting Aisha's path through adolescence and young adulthood up to the present, her story is told through a series of flashbacks and anecdotes, all tightly bonded by a compelling holistic view of Morocco, its politics, people, and traditions. Male/ Female relationships feature strongly in the narrative, and by exposing us to Aisha's troubled romantic encounters, Abouzeid uncovers the shifting male/female roles within the Morocco of her lifetime. Also explored were clashes between the modern and traditional aspects of Moroccan life. The book, an important addition to the growing body of Arab women's Literature, is available on Amazon.com. |
| |  | THE FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC IDAH, NIGERIA PURCHASES 750 COPIES OF MTOAT FOR STUDENTS |
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Following the recommendation of MORE TALES OF A TROUBADOUR By Wale Okediran for its students, the Department of Languages and Liberal Studies, School of General Studies, The Federal Polytechnic, Idah, Kogi State, Nigeria has purchased 750 copies of the books for its students. The books which were dispatched by the Ibadan based publishers, have since been received by the school authorities. The book, made up of 20 scintillating travel stories across 12 countries and 4 continents of magnificent landscapes and wonderful people is available at ACCESSIBLE Publishers: https://accessiblepublishers.com/product/more-tales-of-a-troubadour-ebook/ |
| |  | AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE POET TROUBADOUR |
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After many years of online correspondence and distant admiration, I finally met the iconic Tade Aina, a Pan Africanist, scholar, activist, sociologist and Foundation Executive over the weekend in Accra, Ghana. Prof Aina who has lived in Accra, Cairo, Dakar, Lagos, London, Nairobi, New York and Sussex later gifted me his collection of poems, THE WANDERERS WAVES in exchange for my TENANTS OF THE HOUSE. According to Okey Ndibe, Aina's book is a 'rich-veined, sensual and probing rewarding collection which bears the imprint of a keen, world-wide poet'. The beautiful collection of poems which has also been described by the celebrated Akwasi Aidoo as ' an outstanding poetic chronicle of a trailblazer's explorations, observations and experiences across the world' is a testimony to the literary proficiency of a well-traveled and restless soul. Published by AMALION of Dakar, Senegal, the book is available on Amazon.com |
| |  | LitFest Harare International Literature Festival 2024, with the theme “Stories – The Measure of Life,” runs in the Zimbabwean capital from November 27 – 30, 2024. |
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LitFest Harare International Literature Festival or simply LitFest Harare is a literature festival hosted annually in Harare, Zimbabwe since it was founded by poet and curator Chirikure Chirikure in 2013. It has hosted many of the leading writers in the Southern African country and the region to readings, panels, performances, workshops, masterclasses, and loads more.
The 2024 edition, the eleventh edition, will be hosted at the Alliance Francaise Harare, with activities and participants from over nine countries. The theme, “Stories: The Measure of Life,” underscores the transformative power of storytelling. Beyond mere entertainment, storytelling is recognized as a vital aspect of human existence, connecting individuals and communities while shaping collective identities.
Those who attend will be treated to thought-provoking discussions, scintillating performances, and interactive workshops. Featured guests include South African poet Nomonde Sky and Botswana artist Sidos, as well as new voices such as Dr. Lame Pusetso (Botswana), Thabang Shai (South Africa), and Tawona Sithole from the University of Glasgow. Joining them will be a host of literary and artistic talents from Sierra Leone, Sweden, Zambia, the UK, the USA, Kenya, and Uganda.
The LitFest poetry slam returns, featuring 20 poets competing for the coveted top three positions and exciting prizes. Each evening, audiences will be treated to a vibrant showcase of music, spoken word, comedy, and theatre. Zimbabwean artists such as Sarungano, Victor Kunonga, and Hope Masike will perform alongside international acts, highlighting the rich diversity of global storytelling traditions.
For information on the schedule, we recommend the festival's Facebook page. |
| |  | FOUR WRITERS FOR THE EBEDI INTERNATIONAL WRITERS RESIDENCY |
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Four writers all from Nigeria have arrived Iseyin, Nigeria for the November/December 2024 Edition of the Ebedi International Writers Residency. The writers are Left to Right in the above picture: Mathew Simpa, Ibrahim Lawal Ajani, Khalid Imam Khalid and Chinedu Kingsley Friday. In addition to their individual Writing Projects, the Writers will also mentor Secondary school students in Iseyin during their 4 week stay. The Ebedi International Writers Residency is a private initiative for the free use of Writers in need of a conducive environment to complete their ongoing works. Since its establishment in 2010, the facility has hosted 300 Writers from 12 African Countries. For further enquiries; derin...@gmail.com |
| |  | CALL FOR PAPERS: MEDICINE AND LITERATURE WITHOUT BORDERS: HEALTH, HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL JUSTICE IN THE WRITINGS OF WALE OKEDIRAN - CELEBRATING THE WRITER, MEDICAL PRACTITIONER AND LITERARY ADMINISTRATOR, DR. WALE OKEDIRAN, IN AN UPCOMING BOOK |
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Dr. Wale Okediran is one of the most acclaimed physician-writers in Nigeria, whose career bestrides the domains of medicine, literature and politics. Dr. Okediran’s life, as demonstrated in his writings, is a vibrant intersection of the multifarious and disparate experiences that define human existence. Trained and practised as a physician, Okediran eventually developed a lifelong commitment to creative writing and political practice.
His engagements as a politician underscore his humanistic principles, possibly shaped by his twin career of medicine and literature. In 2001, Professor Emmanuel Babatunde Omobowale, the first Professor of Literature and Medicine in Nigeria, defended his PhD thesis on the creative works of Nigerian physician-writers in the Department of English, University of Ibadan, which featured the work of Wale Okediran.
Like the Russian physician-writer, Anton Chekhov, who declares that “medicine is my lawful, wedded wife and literature is my mistress”, Okediran has remarkably established the symbiotic relationship between medicine and literature both in his writings and social activities. Besides the orthodox literary productions, he has also ventured into similar domains of writings like newspaper column, biographical narratives and travel writing.
The utilitarian and didactic import of his writings manifest in his ability to imagine a better social order by making suggestion for human and societal improvement. Beyond the realm of conventional political practice, Dr Okediran has brought his managerial skill to bear in arts administration. Over the years, Okediran has remained an exemplary literary administrator with his decades of experience as State Chairman, Treasurer, General Secretary and President of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA). He was Chairman of the Nigeria Book Fair Trust (NIBFT) and current Secretary-General of the Pan-African Writers’ Association (PAWA), with headquarters in Accra, Ghana. He is the founder and promoter of the Ebedi International Writers Residency in Iseyin, Oyo State. Dr. Okediran has inspired national and international networking and collaborations in literary engagements.
Dr. Wale Okediran, in less than a year to mark the milestone age of ‘three scores plus ten,’ has lived a life entirely devoted to promoting literature, national and international cooperation in the areas of literary/cultural humanities. Dr Wale Okediran has written and published a good number of novels, short stories collections, children’s literature, biographies and travelogues, some of which have won acclaimed literary prizes, ranging from the Association of Nigerian Authors(ANA) prizes to the Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature.
His popularly acclaimed political thriller, Tenants of the House, a fictional recreation of his experience as an elected member of the Nigerian parliament between 2003-2007, was later produced by him into a film of the same title directed by the famous film auteur, Kunle Afolayan and made available on NETFLIX.
Dr Wale Okediran is also a public intellectual, and has contributed significantly to conferences, seminars, colloquiums and workshops on different topical issues, especially on the intersection between medicine and literature, also broadly known as the medical humanities, as well as the praxis of literature in conversation with politics. It is, therefore, imperative that a man of such creative profundity and productivity, who has contributed to so many divergent but intersecting areas of life, should be examined and re-examined to foreground his place in knowledge productions in his chosen fields of practices.
This call for chapters seeks to explore Dr Wale Okediran’s rich multidisciplinary contributions to literature, medicine, cultural studies and political discourse. A very significant thrust of this book is how his creative imaginations, newspaper articles, biographical, travel writings have, over the years, contributed to knowledge productions in the field of literature and medicine in Nigeria and Africa. Therefore, contributions that will be featured into the proposed book are to revolve round (but not limited to) the following sub-themes: 1. Social Vision and Wale Okediran’s Work 2. Diseases, Medicalisation and Wale Okediran’s Writings 3. Medical Ethics, the Therapeutic Relationship and Wale Okediran’s Writings 4. The Medical Humanities, Bibliotherapy, Scriptotherapy and Wale Okediran’s Writings 5. Health, Medical Consciousness and Wale Okediran’s Medical Columns 6. Politics and Social Justice in Wole Okediran’s Writings 7. The Art of Wale Okediran’s Short Stories 8. Children in Wale Okediran’s Creative Oeuvres 9. The Travelogues of Wale Okediran 10. Travel Writing as Literature 11. The Writer as a Biographer 12. Wale Okediran’s Popular Literature and the Reading Culture 13. The Writer in Politics: The Example of Wale Okediran 14. The Writer as a Literary Administrator: The Praxis of Wale Okediran 15. The Nexus between Literature and Film and Wale Okediran’s Place 16. Writers’ Residencies and the Empowerment of Literature Insightful, well–researched and positioned chapters on the many faces of Wale Okediran’s arts and practices will result in the publication of a book to mark his 70th Birth Anniversary in April, 2025.
The proposed book, Medicine and Literature Without Borders: Health, Humanities and Social Justice in the Writings of Wale Okediran, will explore the multidisciplinary outlook of Okediran’s literary oeuvres. Interested contributors are to adhere to the MLA 9th edition style sheet. All essays must be in MS word, Times New Roman, 12 fonts with 1.5 line-spacing (except indented quotations, that should be in single line-spacing). The volume of an essay ranges from 5,000 to 7,000 words. The deadline for submissions is December 31, 2024. Dedicated and focused personal tribute essays on any of the identified multi-dimensions of the man, Wale Okediran, will also be welcomed.
All Submissions should be made to the editors through the following email address: waleoke...@gmail.com Editors: Denja Abdullahi, fANA, NPOM Former President, Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Former Director, National Council for Arts & Culture, Abuja, Center for Creative Writing , University of Abuja. Stephen Kekeghe, PhD Senior Lecturer, Department of English & Literary Studies, Delta State University, Abraka |
| |  | KwaziThina Publishers Marks Major Milestone with Latest Release of Two Historic Anthologies: African Teen Soul on The Africa We Want (English) and L’Afrique Que Nous Voulons (French)! |
| Leave a Comment / MAIN STORIES / By bdlq8 Lusikisiki, South Africa – KwaziThina Publishers is proud to announce the publication of the 4th Africa Teen Soul Anthology Series, featuring the perspectives of 25 exceptional young African authors on the theme “The Africa We Want”. This landmark edition is inspired by the African Union’s Vision 2063, but uniquely presented through the lens of African teenagers. In a groundbreaking move, KwaziThina Publishers is also releasing the first-ever French edition of the anthology, “L’Afrique Que Nous Voulons”, marking a significant milestone in sharing the voices of young African writers with the Francophone world. The Africa Teen Authors Book Initiative (ATABI), now in its fourth year, has attracted 164 submissions from 30 African countries and the diaspora. Fifty outstanding stories were carefully selected for publication, with 25 featured in English and 25 in French anthologies. “We are thrilled to celebrate this milestone with the release of the 4th Africa Teen Soul Anthology Series and our inaugural French edition,” said Nomawele Njongo, Founder of KwaziThina Publishers. “This publication is a testament to the talent, creativity, and diversity of young African writers, and we are honoured to provide a platform for their voices to be heard.” KwaziThina Publishers extends its heartfelt gratitude to the ATABI 2021-2023 cohorts, who played a pivotal role in laying the foundation for this year’s success. We also thank the 2024 participants, without whom this publication would not have been possible. Your stories have inspired and captivated us, and we are honoured to share them with the world. Special thanks go to: -Dr. Rabiaa Marhouch of Africanmoude, Morocco. -UNESCO for Peace USA in Guinea. -Prof. Faith Ben Daniels, English Editor of the Africa Teen Soul Anthologies from Ghana Justical Gyan, French Editor of the ATABI program from Ghana. -Dr. Wale Okediran, Secretary General of the Pan African Writers Association (PAWA), Ghana, for graciously writing the foreword to the English publication Chikumbutso Ndaferankhande, the Malawian Union Writer President and Novelist, for his invaluable contribution to the publication. The Africa Teen Soul Anthology Series is now available on KwaziThina Publishers’ digital platform. Contact: Nomawele Njongo Founder, KwaziThina Publishers Email: in...@kwazithina.co.za Phone: +27793061668 |
| |  | MAKING FRIENDS IN MOROCCO |
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Left to Right: Spanish writer and scholar, Gonzalo Fernandez Parrilla, Secretary General of the Pan African Writers Association, Wale Okediran and Moroccan writer and researcher, Salah El Quadie at the recently concluded International Conference on Transitional Justice at the Parliament of Morocco in Rabat. |
| |  | PAWA AND WAFORD CONGRATULATE THE NATION OF CUBA |
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The Pan-African Writers Association (PAWA) and it's diasporia arm, the Writers of African Origin in the Diaspora (WAFORD) have sent a message of felicitation to the nation of Cuba, the conference organizers and participants of the International Decade for People of African Descent as proclaimed by the UN General Assembly and being hosted in Cuba this December 2024.
In a message signed by Prof Bill F Ndi, poet, writer and coordinator of WAFORD, the two bodies observed that the conference's theme "Equality, Equity, and Social Justice" resonates profoundly with the shared aspirations of our global Afro Descendant Community and the ongoing journey toward a more just and inclusive world. The statement further observed that the international conference exemplifies Cuba and the Cuban people's enduring commitment to confronting racism and championing the rights and dignity of people of African descent.
It is noteworthy that Cuba currently chairs United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization (C-24) and the conference's focus on National Programs against Racism and Racial Discrimination, along with the cultural initiatives celebrating African heritage, underscores the power of unity, dialogue, and cultural preservation as vital tools for societal transformation.
As Pan African writers, we believe in, and recognize, the indispensable role of stories in shaping identities and fostering resilience and resistance. The planned visits to community spaces and cultural centers such as the Literacy Museum, Quintin Bandera and the Museum of the Rebel Slave highlight how Afro history and heritage are vital narratives in our collective fight against inequality, inequity and injustice.
In conclusion, the PAWA and WAFORD reaffirmed their commitment and support to the global school of scholars and writers of African descent. |
| |  | PAWA'S BOOK OF THE WEEK (Week 36, Fourth Edition) |
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ALL YOUR CHILDREN SCATTERED by Beata Umubyeyi Mairesse from Rwanda is a searing novel that lyrically follows the after-effects of the 1994 genocide through three generations of one family. In the book, Immaculata survives the massacres in Butare by hiding in the basement of her Hutu neighbour’s bookshop. Her son, Bosco, joins the exiled rebel army, while her daughter, Blanche, escapes to France, meets her husband and settles in Bordeaux with their child, Stokely. The novel is narrated from the perspectives of Blanche, Immaculata and Stokely and is a poignant meditation on the violence that ruptured so many lives. The women’s experiences, their struggles to come to terms with trauma and survivor’s guilt, are emblematic of the nation’s attempts to heal. The novel's title, from the Catholic liturgy: “gather to yourself all your children scattered throughout the world” was translated into English by Alison Anderson. It is available on Amazon.com |
| |  | PAWA'S BOOK OF THE WEEK (Week 37, Fourth Edition) |
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NO GODS LIVE HERE, a Collection of Poetry by Conceicao Lima from Sao Tome and Principles is the first book-length collection by a woman from São Tomé to appear in English. The book which is grounded in the lush islands' history of slavery, colonialism, and independence, catalogues and memorializes the cruelties and triumphs of the country's past alongside the poet's own childhood poems set against the tiny island nation's distinctive flora and geography. Through vivid imagery, Lima evokes São Tomé and Príncipe, from popular Santomean music to imagery of fishermen on the beach, while remaining ever aware of the subjective meeting of memory, time, and place. Through poetry, Lima unites past and present to resurrect hope in human creation and the possibility of metamorphosis. The book is available on Amazon.com |
|  | PAWA ATTENDS UNESCO'S NGOS CONFERENCE IN PARIS, FRANCE. |
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Following its admission as a UNESCO official partner in 2023, the Pan African Writers Association (PAWA) participated in the 2024 International Conference of NGOs at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, from 17 to 19 December 2024. The biennial Conference provided an opportunity to review the cooperation between UNESCO and all NGOs in official partnership with the Organization while supporting dialogue between NGOs, Member States and key partners. At the end of the 3-day Conference with the theme "Building Capacity for Action", the strengthening of African NGOs' capacity for advocacy and partnerships was a major outcome of the meeting which was attended by about 260 participants. Above picture showed the PAWA Secretary General, Dr Wale Okediran (Left) and the UNESCO Country Representative for Nigeria, Mr Abdourahamane Diallo after the event. |
| |  | Happy Birthday, WOW, and Happy Anniversary |
| Dear colleagues and friends! Today we celebrate the first anniversary of the World Organization of Writers (WOW) and the 10th anniversary of the Eurasian Literary Project LIFFT. The idea of WOW was first introduced at the 2019 LIFFT Festival in Azerbaijan during the forum “Creating the Image of the Future Human and the Human of the Future in Literature”. In 2023, at the VI Eurasian Literary Festival in Egypt, a memorandum was signed by writers from 18 countries to establish WOW, aiming at "humanitarian modernization" and promoting spiritual and moral values. On April 4, 2024, the First WOW Congress was held in Abuja, Nigeria, marking the beginning of a global literary dialogue. In 2025, Russia will host the Second WOW Congress, continuing the mission of promoting humanitarian values and global literary unity. These milestones reflect our collective efforts to foster cultural exchange, inspire creativity, and build bridges through literature. Happy Birthday, WOW, and Happy Anniversary, LIFFT! |
| |  | PAWA'S BOOK OF THE WEEK ( Week 38, Fourth Edition) |
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LE MALHEUR DE VIVRE, (The Misfortune Of Living) by Ndeye Fatou Kane from Senegal is the story of a girl and a family living in France. Attached to their Senegalese and Hal Pulaar origins, the parents, Amadou and Mariam Bâ, want their daughter Sakina to stay in touch with her origins, which does not displease the latter who enjoys – paradoxically – greater freedom during her holidays in Senegal where she meets her cousins Bousso and Salamata. In Dakar, Sakina meets Ousmane, a "Dakar boy", during a nightclub outing with her cousins. The fusion is immediate. After much negotiation, Amadou agreed to offer his daughter in marriage to Ousmane. He didn't know it yet, but he had just made a decision that would plunge his family into the abyss. Ndeye Fatou Kane's novel is sulphurous, but beyond this story that ends on the verge of tragedy, the novelist displays all the richness of the Pulaar culture and hers. The book is available on Amazon.com |
| |  | Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2025! |
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