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Nana Ekua's Reading At 7:15 pm yesterday, 13th August 2010, which was a Friday and instead of it being a portentous evening filled with unearthly activities that would gradually converge in evil, we had literary blessings as Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond read from her novel Powder Necklace . The imagistic reading interspersed with humour got everybody laughing. It was a very successful evening in all aspects: the reading, the book purchasing and signing and the conversation that went on on the sidelines. Questions were asked of her and some also congratulated her of telling this story. All I would reveal for now is that it is a coming-of-age novel as I have purchased a copy for future read and review. Also, I met Kinna at Kinna Reads , a Ghanaian book blogger I had met virtually. It was fun talking about books, something I can spend the rest of my life doing.  Righting a Wrong For the past two postings I have been presenting new first novels. So far I have blogged on three of such book...

The Writers' Project of Ghana, over the weekend, rolled out yet another of its series of workshops for writers in Ghana--this time dubbed 'A Day and Half Poetry Marathon'. Last weekend's edition is the third of its kind this year and focused on writing freely without any inhibitions as far as poetry is concerned.  The workshop saw many participants producing materials instantly at the workshop on the first day. The second day focused, however, on peer critiquing of one work produced by each participants with Dr. Mawuli Adzei, a writer and lecturer at the University of Ghana English Department, steering affairs. The project aims to improve the skills of writers, beginners, amateurs and 'already-made' writers. Report by Obed Sarpong, A Participant Poet, Writer, Radio Host and a Member of the Ehalakasa Poetry TalkParty.

The Literary Night organised to celebrate the works and achievement of Efua T. Sutherland, author of the famous play Marriage of Anansewaa took place at the foyer of National Theatre. And to celebrate someone who worked hard to establish the Arts and through whose effort and works the National Theatre was established, at the foyer, and not the Main Hall, of the National Theatre shows the level of significance we, as a country, attach to the Arts in General. Most often certain individuals who think they are helping the literary front have taken the arts as another form of entertainment and therefore offer peanuts. They use it to unwind and destress rather than seeing it as a creative force with the capacity of changing the psyche of a whole nation and acting as a vehicle of change and progress. Besides, since no one would want to spend half of his entire earnings on entertainment the government has also made it a point not to spend an appreciable amount on the development of the Arts; a...

Yesterday evening was an evening to remember. It is the dream of every budding writer to meet other writers who have published their works and whose name is common to all. Yet, greater joy comes from not knowing who the person only to be told that he is an award-winning writer.  Yesterday evening, at the American Corner of the Legon Centre for International Affairs (LECIA), I had the privilege of meeting two great writers of our time: Kojo Laing, whose latest novel, Big Bishop Roko and the Altar Gangsters, I reviewed on this blog and the Kenyan author Binyavanga Wainaina. Binyavanga Wainaina Binyavanga Wainaina is a Kenyan author, journalist and a 2002 Caine-Prize winning author of Discovering Home . He is also the founding editor of Kwani?, a literary magazine in Kenya. He is also the Director of the Chinua Achebe Centre in New York. Binyavanga read from his yet to be published memoir. His reading captivated us all and left us laughing with its humour and character...