By Cherno Omar Barry, France.
Mr. Editor,
I will be pleased to have this reaction of mine published.
I am really happy to learn that Mr Suntou Touray has discovered the blog on Gambian literature that I have been developing since 2004. It is meant to help discover Gambian writers and list them. The idea is not only to help motivate other writers, but also to encourage our present publishing writers who, through this blog, would be discovered and could be lucky to receive recognition elsewhere. I cannot divulge some information here, but the blog has made great changes in the way Gambian writers and Gambian literature are viewed. Scholars have been guided by this blog to write their scientific papers on The Gambia and several graduates contacted me for more information on certain authors. Issues I was very happy to help with.
Certain books have not been featured because I have not got them yet to review them or some of the reviews I read were not quite convenient for publication. I still have several writers who are also not featured. One in mind is Mr Samba Faal (the newly elected mayor of Banjul) who published two novels and with whom I had a comprehensive interview in his office when he was Secretary of State. Other updates already at hand have not been published too.
May I take this opportunity to inform all readers that the Gambian writers website is under construction. It is www.gamwriters.com.
I also wish to appeal to all readers to kindly send me information on Gambian authors, on their works, new book reviews, new updates and comments.
I agree with Mr Touray with the idea of helping our writers. The form of help however goes beyond buying books. In fact before buying books, one has to see them published. A large number of authors and writers in The Gambia have written excellent pieces of work but they cannot publish them. The major obstacle is financial. However what makes publication more difficult is the lack of well established publishing agencies that can bring quality in the works. More than 70% of those who published their works did it locally. This however presents its own disadvantages: the works are not edited by professionals and the book is poorly presented. In fact Baba Galleh Jallow had to edit and republish his first novel, Ultimate Conflict, once he settled in the US. It is now entitled Dying for my Daughter and it presents other features that can make it transcend all cultures.
Gambians in the diaspora, particularly those interested in literature and publication in general, can probably help find solutions to this major problem. The other problem is to distribute and market these works. Once when going to London in 2003, Mariama Khan gave me several copies of her collection of poems called Futa Toro to find a market for it. I was able to present them at the African Center in London and they quickly sold out. In fact I received several mails requesting that I send them more books. Unfortunately, there were none any more to send. These markets can be made easier by our brothers and sisters in the Diaspora. I urge you to think about it.
In the long run, two very important books need to be published: An anthology of Gambian authors and their works; and a History of Gambian literary works. One may believe the two are the same but the difference makes each book unique. With the explosion in education in The Gambia today, these books could go a long way in sensitizing on Gambian literature.
For all information, kindly contact me through cherno.barry@gamwriters.com
Thank you Mr Editor for the space!
Cherno Omar Barry
PS: CORRECTION: Essay on SECOND INDEPENDENCE was written by myself on a poem by Dr Tijan Sallah published in his collection of poems, Dream of Dusty Roads.