Secretary General of The Young Writers’ Association of The Gambia (YWAG), Kebba S. Juwara, has been accepted for the Chinua Achebe Literary Festival and Memorial Lecture.
The 25-year-old has been accepted for the event slated for 16th November 2022, at the Prof. Kenneth Dike State Central e-Library (the Anambra State Central e-Library) in Awka, Anambra State, in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Among hundreds of applicants across Africa, the Juryaccepted the young Gambian poet for the prize, according to a statement by the association.
“The Secretary-General of The Young Writers’ Association of The Gambia, Kebba S. Juwara, has been accepted for the Chinua Achebe Literary Festival and Memorial Lecture. Kebba S. Juwara was accepted by the Jury, for the prize among hundreds of applicants across Africa. The Literary Festival will be held on 16th November 2022, at the Prof. Kenneth Dike State Central e-Library (also known as the Anambra State Central e-Library), Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria. Help us congratulate Kebba S. Juwara!” YWAG said in a statement on Tuesday.
Reacting to the development, Kebba said: “It (accepted for the Chinua Achebe Literary Festival and Memorial Lecture) makes me happy and proud of myself. The organizers confessed that they received hundreds (of applications). So being accepted from the lot is a thing to be proud of.”
The secondary school English Language, Literature-in-English, and Agriculture teacher sees a conduit for self-expression, which motivated him into being a poet.
“Well, poetry is a talent and I feel it’s a room for me to express myself and as well address some pressing issues in the society. Sometimes, I use poetry for entertainment but I chiefly use it to send a message,” he said.
The application for submission of poems by interested poets across Africa for the festival was opened in August, leading to the release of the final list bearing the young Gambia poet.
