USA Africa Dialogue Series - PAWA’s Newsletter (January to March 2023)

PAWA's Newsletter (January to March 2023) This is a newsletter of PAWA activities for the first quarter of 2023 THE INTERNATIONAL AUTHORS FORUM AGM 2023 AND POWER OF AUTHORS CONFERENCE IN CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA The International Authors Forum (IAF) organized its second hybrid Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Cape Town, South Africa, alongside two events, The Power of Author Symposium and the Pan-African Writers Symposium. The conferences brought together representatives of authors' organizations in Africa and Europe to discuss the major issues facing African authors. Some of the main challenges for authors identified included the lack of financial assistance and resources for collective management organizations and authors unions, with some relying heavily on voluntary work. Many described a lack of legal frameworks for the promotion of authors' rights and implementation of supportive schemes such as Public Lending Right (PLR) in their country. The lack of consideration for indigenous languages in the publishing sector was highlighted by organizations such as Pan-African Writers Association (PAWA), ANFASA, The Zambia Textbook Academic and Non-Fiction Authors Association, and Tanzania Academic and Non-Fiction Writers Association (TANFWA), hampering the work of authors. The need for better investment in translation to improve the reach of literature within nations and across Africa was stressed. IAF representatives emphasized the closer relations with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and UNESCO, and the ongoing work the Secretariat is undertaking with those organizations. IAF also presented its recent work in the Latin American and African region, its close collaboration with PLR International to spread information about PLR and announced future plans and activities to address topics of interest for its members such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), PLR, Artists' Resale Right, and Exceptions and Limitations to Copyright. PAWA SECRETARY GENERAL VISITS THE LIBRARY OF AFRICA AND THE AFRICAN DIASPORA (LOATAD) The Secretary General of the Pan African Writers Association (PAWA), Dr Wale Okediran recently visited the new facility of the Accra, Ghana based Library of Africa And The African Diaspora (LOATAD) which is located at Adenta Frafraha, Accra. For the past three years, PAWA and LOATAD have colloborated on a number of Continental Literary and Cultural activities. While welcoming Dr Okediran, LOATAD's Founder and CEO, Ms Sylvia Arthur explained that the Organization, a private library was founded in 2017 under the name, Libreria Ghana, The facility commenced with 1,300 of her own books, which she'd accumulated over a period of about five years. The idea behind the Library formation was to give local people access to contemporary, culturally-relevant literature not easily available in Ghana. The majority of the books in her collection were by writers of African descent. Although the facility started in a one-room office, the library attracted significant national and international attention and quickly outgrew itself. In 2020, Liberia rebranded as the Library Of Africa and The African Diaspora and moved to a bigger space that included a special collections/archive room, a screening room and extensive outdoor event space. LOATAD's focus is on books by writers of African descent including African, African American, Caribbean, Black European, Afro-Latin, and Indigenous writers. The library has over 4000 volumes of literary fiction and narrative nonfiction dating from the early 20th century to the present day. From Algeria to Kenya, Liberia to Zimbabwe, the collection represents the rich diversity of the African continent and its vast Diasporas. Since its inception, the library's mission has evolved to help address the serious literacy challenges that many across the country and the continent face. According to the Founder: ''We believe in literacy and literature for all, and we strive to make both accessible regardless of geographic location, gender, age, disability, or religious or sexual orientation''. Ms. Arthur emphasized that although LOATAD is an African library, the facility is not solely a library; but a movement with a mission for a positive change in Africa and globally in the belief that knowledge is transformative – for the individual, the nation, the continent, and the world. CALL FOR SUBMISSION OF BOOKS — SDG 9: INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE Dear Publishers, The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Book Club African Chapter is inviting African publishers/Authors to submit children's fiction and non-fiction books that relate to the SDG 9: INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE in English, French, Arabic and Kiswahili that help educate children about the SDGs. If you have books for children within the ages of 6 and 12 years + that relate to Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure – SDG 9, we invite you to submit them. Below are the links to the Google forms in the four main languages. A children's book in any other African language that relates to SDG 9 can be submitted via any of the submission forms. English https://forms.gle/BRxTzwZ3HZ17NQbMA French https://forms.gle/mvFFqZ8M2W4PuyR36 Kiswahili https://forms.gle/5SgHfeRxspfVxYu29 Arabic https://forms.gle/ATFoZb4Y8VMHoYmU6 * The deadline for the submission of the book(s) is 14th April, 2023. Please share with your members. JUST RELEASED: LITERATURE SINCE MAKERERE 1962: The African Writers Pan African Agenda For Peace , Security And Cultural Development. Proceedings Of The Literary Conference Jointly Organized By The Pan African Writers Association, Nigerian Academy Of Letters and the Association Of Nigerian Authors At The University of Ibadan, Nigeria In June 2022. The Publication Contains Speeches And Presentations By Eminent International Statesmen And Scholars On African Literature in Arabic, English And French. For Enquiries, Please Contact The Publisher Through Pawahouse@gmail.com A VISITOR TO PAWA HOUSE As part of her research towards a new book, Dr Naaborko Sackeyfio-Lenoch, an Associate Professor at the Department of History, Dartmouth College, Hanover, USA visited the Accra, Ghana PAWA HOUSE office of the Pan African Writers Association (PAWA) during the week. Dr Sackeyfio-Lenoch (3rd Left in above picture) was received by the PAWA Secretary General, Dr Wale Okediran (2nd Left) and his team made up of the PAWA Accountant, Louis Mensah (1st Right), Secretary to the PAWA SG, Caroline Addo (2nd Right) and PAWA Programs Officer, Reine Amankrah (1st Left) The visiting scholar whose book will also explore the creation and activities of PAWA had an extensive interview with the PAWA SG before her departure to her US base. The Secretary General of the Pan African Writers Association (PAWA) Dr Wale Okediran Presenting a PAWA'S Publication to Mr Keith Gottschalk the Representative Of The National South Africa Writers Association (NSAWA) at the ongoing International Authors Forum Conference in Capetown South Africa. During A Meeting At The Sidelines of The Conference, NSAWA and PAWA agreed to continue their long term relationship through some Collaborative Projects In The Areas of Translations And The Promotion Of Literature In Indigenous African Languages. CALL FOR PAPERS AFRICAN LITERATURE TODAY (ALT) 42: Oral and Written African Poetry and Poetics EDITOR: Ernest N. Emenyonu African Literature Today plans to publish a special issue (ALT 42) with a focus on "Poetry and Poetics" and hereby calls for well researched articles for the volume. The issue seeks to appraise crucial developments in the broad field of African poetry (written and oral) and poetics since the publication of its first and second special issues on poetry, ALT 6 (1973) and ALT 16 (1989) respectively. The former volume explored some of the prevailing subjects and debates of the period: primarily the resistance to Western cultural hegemony, the African poet's authentic sources of inspiration and poetics, the utilitarian purpose of poetry, and the tradition in which the work of an African poet ought to be anchored. The attention paid in the volume to both written and oral poetry makes a categorical statement of purpose just as the representative body of poetry discussed virtually established the hegemonic faction of African poetry at that time, with the expected focus on the offerings of Leopold Sedar Senghor, Christopher Okigbo, Wole Soyinka, and Dennis Brutus. Sixteen years later, ALT 16 extended the frontiers of several critical issues raised in ALT 6, especially the kinship between African oral and written literatures, questions on poetics and the social relevance of poetry. Moreover, Soyinka, and Okigbo continue to dominate critical attention, and though Niyi Osundare and Isidore Okpewho appear in the volume, they do so as critics. Almost half a century after ALT 6 and thirty-three years after ALT 16, what has changed and what is still focalized? There is a compelling need to examine the field in considerable detail, with a view to highlighting major developments and continuities in the practice of the art of poetry in the continent. Are there national or even regional imperatives? Are there global movements that reverberate as praxis of African poets? Are there continuities in the tradition(s) established by Africa's pioneer poets and the work of the younger generations, and between the oral indigenous traditions and contemporary written poetry? Who are currently Africa's foremost poets? Are there crucial innovations in the arts? Are the forces responsible for the increasing attention to eco-poetry and the like and the practice of the so-called "spoken word poetry" internal or external? Potentially productive questions that can possibly be raised about the trajectory of a field as broad as African Poetry and Poetics in the past several decades are diverse and legion! Intending contributors could focus, among other topical and related subjects, on the following: 1. Theories and Criticism of African poetry and presiding debates on current practice 2. The current state of the art, its preoccupations, preferred forms and key players 3. The nexus between Africa's oral poetic heritage and written poetry 4. New themes and forms such as eco poetry and spoken word poetry 5. Tradition(s) of African poetry: consolidations or interrogations in current practice 6. The impact of important Literary Prizes such as the Nigeria Literature Prize on the development of African poetry 7. National and regional imperatives in the practice of African poetry 8. The production and readership of African poetry 9. Innovations in African orality 10. Interviews with important African Poets Submissions are also invited for: LITERARY SUPPLEMENT– short creative writing selections – poetry, short stories, one-act plays. FEATURED ARTICLES – non-themed articles on any aspect of African Literature (not more than 5000 words). Contributors should please note that submissions that include extracts in African languages must be translated with permission obtained by the authors for this to be done. Such submissions must include the permission for translation from the original authors (who should also give permission for use of their works). "Fair use" rules may apply for very short excerpts: To be confirmed with the Publisher. All items should be submitted as a Word document to the Series Editor: eernest@umich.edu on or before 31 October 2023. Books for review (2 copies) to be sent to the Reviews Editor: Obi Nwakanma, University of Central Florida, English Department, Colburn Hall, 12790 Aquarius Agora Drive, Orlando, FL 32816, USA.Obi.Nwakanma@ucf.edu. Reviews should not exceed 2,000 words. Authors and book reviewers should follow the ALT Author Guideline for Submissions: https://boydellandbrewer.com/search-results/?series=african-literature-today PAWA TO COLLABORATE WITH NORWEGIAN NON FICTION WRITERS AND TRANSLATORS ASSOCIATION (NFFO) As part of efforts to enrich the International Literary landscape, the Pan African Writers Association ( PAWA) and the Norwegian Non Fiction Writers And Translators Association (NFFO) have agreed to work together specifically, in some areas of mutual interests to both Organizations. This was the outcome of a meeting held on Tuesday 21st February 2023 between the PAWA Secretary General, Dr Wale Okediran and the Director, International Committee of NFFO, Prof Jorgen Lorentzen at the PAWA House, Accra, Ghana. Strengthening Copyright Laws in Africa as well as Literary Translation are some of the possible areas of collaboration between the two Organizations. Picture above shows from Left to Right, Dr Okediran, Prof Lorentzen, Abbas Mohammad (PAWA's Asst Programs Officer) and Ms Caroline Addo, Secretary to PAWA's Secretary General after the meeting. Dr Wale Okediran (Left) the Secretary General of the Pan African Writers Association (PAWA) receiving copies of BLACK PAPYRUS: Global Origins of Writing and Written Literature Traced To Black Africa. From the author, Prof Al Bishak at a ceremony which took place recently at the Association Of Nigerian Authors Writers Village, Abuja, Nigeria. The copies of the recently published book are to be distributed by PAWA to the 54 African countries that make up PAWA'S membership. The Secretary General of the Pan African Writers Association (PAWA) Dr Wale Okediran (Right) in a discussion with Mr Ian Denison, the UNESCO Global Co-ordinator of the World Book Capital Programme at the end of a meeting in Accra, Ghana. The meeting which took place recently at the Accra Municipal Assembly (AMA) was to sensitize Stakeholders in the Book Industry for the 2023/2024 UNESCO Accra World Book Capital Project which will take off on April 23 2023. The Minister Of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC), Republic of Ghana, Dr Ibrahim Mohammed Awal with the Secretary General of the Pan African Writers Association, Dr Wale Okediran after an interactive Session between MasterCard Foundation and Agencies under MOTAC in Accra, Ghana on Friday, January 27 2023. The Secretary General of the Pan African Writers Association (PAWA), Dr Wale Okediran (left) and the Executive Director of the Africa Leadership Foundation (ALF), Dr Olumide Ajayi after a one day Virtual Workshop on The Role Of Writers And The Media In Advocating For The Reduction Of Heavy Unpaid Care And Domestic Work On Women (UCDW) In Africa which took place on 25th January 2023. The Workshop which was a collaboration between ALF, OXFAM and PAWA, dwelt extensively on the need for Writers and Journalists to reduce the pervasive impact of UCDW on African women. One of the key decisions taken at the end of the event which was attended by Writers and Journalists, was the institution of a Continental Writers Competition by ALF and PAWA on the reduction of UCDW on women in Africa. A formal announcement will soon be made on this. SUMMARY OF THE CELEBRATION OF THE WORLD POETRY DAY BY THE PAN AFRICAN WRITERS ASSOCIATION ON TUESDAY 21ST MARCH 2023 BY ZOOM THEME: POETRY AS A TOOL FOR YOUTH EMPOWERMENT The Pan- African Writers Association marked the world poetry on the 21st of March 2023 by inviting a panel of young writers/Poets from Six (6) African countries representing the five (6) official languages of the Pan- African Writers Association (English, French, Swahili, Arabic, Spanish, and Portuguese) for a discussion on the theme "Poetry as an instrument for Youth Empowerment". The discussion began with opening remarks by the Secretary General of the Pan- African Writers Association, Dr. Wale Okediran followed by a historical analysis by the moderator of how world poetry day came about. This was then followed by a self-introduction of each member of the panel. The countries represented were as follows; 1. Antonio Juan Okue Mokuy from Equatorial Guinea (Spanish) 2. Shukuru Lucas Cosmas from Tanzania (Swahili) 3. Ayi Renaud Dossavi from Togo (French) 4. Mamo Nanet ……… from Nigeria (English) 5. Wesam Draz from Egypt (Arabic) 6. Salvador Muchidao from Mozambique (Portuguese) 7. Oswald Okaitei from Ghana (English) Each panelist gave a brief definition of what poetry is; and gave their views on the theme of discussion One definition that stood out among the panelist is that Poetry is a way to express emotions and to create awareness of social and political issues in order to effect change. The panelist from Mozambique spoke about the importance of poetry and how it is used in his country as a tool to cause change when as youth they are not able or do not have free access to government, they make use of poetry to vehiculate their sentiments. The panelist from Nigeria believed that poetry is used to express feelings and that when the individual actually read them, they will be aware of the challenges the youth are faced with and as a result act upon them. The panelist from Egypt believes that poetry is not only used to express feelings (which he qualified as selfish) but to also create awareness of the issue from different parts of the world. He believes that the poet should be a mouthpiece for the society. The panelist from Togo shared a similar view with the panelist from Egypt, He added that poetry is a universal language that transcends individual languages and diverse cultures. Has the youth failed or not in using poetry to effect change in comparison of the older generation of poets in the likes of Ngugi, Prof Lade Worsono, Chinua Achebe…..? This question was asked by the moderator and each panelist gave a different perspective. Some believed that the youth in poetry is right on track in the sense that they are able to expose through their poems, the hardships that the new generation is plagued with like depression, and suicide….. The panelist from Tanzania believed that the modern youth is quite different from the old generation of poets; he noted that the youth of today are not motivated or interested by poetry, they are instead occupied and fond of the new technologies in particular, social media platforms. He admonished the youth to see poetry as a basic instrument to modify the manner in which they view the world. The panelist from Togo affirmed that they are two sides to this question. He affirmed that in his country even though quite a number of youth are distracted by social media and the likes, a good number of the youth are very much abreast with poetry and use it as a tool to denounce injustice, bad governance and leverage the use of social media platforms to showcase their poetry…he also mentioned that there is a new aspect of poetry that is thriving and that should be encouraged ie.. spoken words, stand up. The moderator, Oswald Okaitei shared his view on how challenging it has been for him to write about sensitive issues, he threw the question to the general public asking them if they were faced with similar challenges in their various countries. The former president of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Mr. Denja Abdullahi emphasized the fact that poetry has been very profitable for the youth in Nigeria. He spoke about how poetry is a versatile genre that can be used to do many various things including promoting tourism… Finally, each panelist, staff of the Pan-African Writers Association as well as members of the audience read poems in different languages to celebrate world poetry day. The Secretary General of PAWA gave his closing remarks and thank all members of the panel for their contribution to the success of the program. FOUR FEMALE AFRICAN WRITERS FOR EBEDI INTERNATIONAL WRITERS RESIDENCY, ISEYIN, NIGERIA. Four female writers from Gambia, Ghana and Nigeria have arrived the Ebedi International Writers Residency in Iseyin, Nigeria to kick start the 2023 Writers Residency Year. The Writers from Left to Right in the above picture are: Justica Anima (Ghana) Fatima Salihu (Nigeria) Anatu Ben-Lawal (Ghana) and Ramatoulie Onike Othman (Gambia) The Writers who will be in the Residency for 4 weeks will in addition to their Literary activities also mentor school children in their host community in the area of creative arts. In its 13th year of operation, the Ebedi International Writers Residency is a private initiative for the free use of Writers and Artists. Since its inception in 2010, the facility has hosted 180 writers from 12 African Countries. Enquiries can be directed to derinjuwon@gmail.com. CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: UNTOLD STORIES OF AFRICAN WOMEN IN TECHNOLOGY We are pleased to invite you to submit unique stories of notable African women in technology from the 54 countries on the continent and the Diaspora for Volume 2 of a global journal publication and documentary titled "The Untold Stories of African Women in Technology". This international journal publication and documentary aims to unite, educate, and inspire the next generation of young African women in technology. Our mission is to showcase the untold experiences, achievements, and challenges of African women in technology, as well as their contributions to solving contemporary issues affecting women in Africa through innovative technological solutions. We believe that by amplifying the voices of African women in technology, we can drive positive change and promote greater diversity and inclusion in the tech industry. The journal and its documentary will be available in soft and hard copies, as well as in audio-visual (video) format, and will be translated into the five most spoken languages in Africa. Our vision is to create a world where African women in technology are recognized, celebrated, and empowered to use their skills and knowledge to address the unique challenges faced by women in Africa. Through our international journal publication and documentary, we strive to inspire the next generation of young African women to pursue careers in technology and become leaders and innovators in their communities. We look forward to receiving your submissions and helping to highlight the inspiring stories of African women in technology. Make your submissions via: https://forms.gle/bFUqfYVmwhsAopxV7 Or theuntoldstoriesofafrika@gmail.com LIBRETTO MAGAZINE CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS, ISSUE 09 For Issue 09, with the theme Disability, Libretto Magazine is pleased to announce its call for submissions. Libretto Magazine seeks unique works with strong sense of empathy, introspection, and courage; works that are evocative and that possess the capacity to redefine perception. This is to encourage diverse voices to share their experiences, opinions, and insights on disability-related issues. Contributors are also allowed to explore the theme in a manner that defies convention. Deadline: March 21st — May 21st, 2023. Link to submit: https://librettong.com/submission-guidelines/ Start Submitting now. Libretto editors can't wait to read your pieces. Thank you! LITERATURE: DSP RELEASES BOOK (...) "KUMUS" is felt by the author as an adventure novel. And the truth is that life in Guinea-Bissau has been nothing but adventure. The present novel begins in the bygone days of the fifties of the twentieth century. Time in which the two main characters are born into the reality of a country full of traditions, divided by ethnic groups, separated by inhabitants of the countryside and inhabitants of the city, and subjugated to colonial power. A power that was European and colored. A white man's ascendant power over the black man. But the fact is that, even under an oppressive regime, men and women, and among them, the youngest, have dreams, and anxieties and want to explore futures. It is precisely this goal that Homi and Kambanó pursue. Each one walks their path. A path of its own influenced by two forces: the strength of family traditions and the will to find, innovating, futures of different contours. The radical changes motivated by the anti-colonial struggle, in the first place, and then, secondly, motivated by the opportunities opened up by the independence of Guinea-Bissau are factors of constant mutation and learning. Young people realize that it is possible to go as far as other peoples go, or perhaps even further. "KUMUS" ends with two speeches, before an assembly of citizens. Speeches by men who were young and walked common paths, feeling the same dreams. Young people who, later, due to the force of things, that is, due to the force of contexts and the incidences of life, followed different paths, in search of personal fulfillment and to explore a destination. And they became men. https://ditaduraeconsenso.blogspot.com/2023/03/literatura-dsp-lanca-livro.html?m=1 Ngugi wa Thiongo in speaking of the political nature of language asserted that the adoption of colonial language by the African educated elite plunged them into what he described as the European bourgeois memory, and that this actively contributed to Africa's backwardness. For wa Thiongo: "Every educated African who remains doggedly locked within the linguistic walls of European languages, irrespective of his avowed social vision (of the right or left), is part of the problem." https://www-okayafrica-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.okayafrica.com/amp/elnathan-john-language-politics-2543575655 OBITUARY NOTICE Sierra Leone recently laid to rest Emeritus Professor Kosonike Koso-Thomas, former Vice Chancellor of the University of Sierra Leone, who died shortly after the celebration of his 91st birthday. He is survived by his wife Dr Olayinka Koso-Thomas, sisters, children and grand children. Koso, a civil engineer headed the Society of Engineers in Sierra Leone for many years, was also an artist, a novelist and a poet. He wrote a total of 67 books. Born in Freetown, Sierra Leone March 7th, 1932. Prof. Koso-Thomas was, on occasion, called a polymath, and had a wide range of partners in academia, the arts, literature, agriculture and business. He was also a friend, mentor, father and brother to many outside his immediate family unit. He will be greatly missed. May light perpetual shine upon him and may his soul rest in perfect peace. Amen. May his soul find peace with God. Amen. LIMPOPO: A FRONTLINE OF THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE THROUGH CULTURAL DIVERSITY Introductory remarks at the launch of the 2nd edition (Vol. 1) of Culture and Liberation Struggle in South Africa: From Colonialism to Post-Apartheid 21 March 2023 UNISA Library, Polokwane Campus By the Editor: Dr. Lebogang Lance Nawa My novel (A Backyard Garden), a lesson in the Text Book for Arabic, Class IX, CENTRAL BOARD OF SECONDARY EDUCATION, the Ministry of Education, Government of India. From Mr. Ashraf Aboul-Yazid http://ar.theasian.asia/archives/49574 Welcome the 5th member of this global literary family of the Silk Road Literature Series | The Silk Road Anthology | Nano Poems for Africa Ramadan Karim Coffee Break At The Academic And Nonfiction Authors Conference In Capetown, South Africa. Left to Right; Elisam Magara (ANFA Uganda) Wale Okediran (PAWA) Aristarik Maro (ANFA Tanzania) and Moffet Moyo (ANFA Zambia)