Ghanaian Writers Urged To Produce More Works For Young Readers

Accra, March 1, 2010: Ghanaian writers have been urged to develop skills that would help them produce works for children and young readers.

The Executive Director of Ghana Book Trust (GBT), Mr Robert Amoako gave the advise on Monday during the opening of a four-day Burt Award Writers workshop in Accra.

According to him it has been noted that Ghanaian children are not keen on reading because they lack access to books by local writers.

Mr Amoako said it was in this direction that the Book Trust in conjunction with CODE, a Canadian NGO were organising the workshop to improve the capacity of local writers.

He stated that it has become necessary to produce more stories for young people that would encourage them to read more.

In that direction, CODE and the Book Trust are organising the Burt Award For African Literature competition for the first time in the country and the second on the continent.

The GBT Executive Director therefore encouraged both authors and publishers to take advantage of the competition to win the attractive prizes at stake.

The workshop being attended by 30 participants, has Mr Peter Carver, a seasoned Canadian writer and publisher together with Mr Daniel Krampah, a retired Ghanaian writer and educationist as the facilitators.

Mr Carver hinted that the workshop was also to sharpen the skills of participants to ensure that those taking part in the competition present works of outstanding quality.

The Burt Award for African Literature is a newly created cash prize award that honours and supports the writing and publication of excellent young adult literature by and for Africans. The programme recognises outstanding authors and ensures publication of their work by local publishers. The award was officially launched by the Canadian high commissioner to Ghana in September last year.

Tanzania was the first country to organise the competition last year. END

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FOR MORE INFORMATION:

MR ROBERT AMOAKO - 0244388294/0243281236