The Gambia's Three Best Pre-and Post-independence Authors and Their Books

A warm welcome to the blog of The Voice of The Pen. It's good to see you again.  I would like to keep asking for your usual understanding and interest in my blog posts that come your way every FRIDAY. This week, you're going to read about the 'Three Prominent Names Who Founded Gambian Literature.' In this post, I am honoring Gambian authors and books that lifted the voices of the unheard, addressed imbalance, and championed positive change. 


The pace of present Gambian literature is moving at a high-speed with the growing of many young writers- more defiant in both style and tone than those of the pre- and post-independence writers’ generation;  and a very few serious publishers in the country.  Having known the slow development and the injection of Gambian literature in the Western world was as a result of the Senegambian Confederation, believing that education has the potential to transform lives, and that it is the vehicle for continuous positive change that ultimately enables us to build a better world. For such growth to occur, individuals and educational institutions need to understand transformation and to be able to identify the radical changes needed in order to facilitate human development. For a rethinking of policies, strategies, and target setting to respond to old priorities in the Gambian context cutting across all levels of education, using an integrated approach for sustainable development, these writers saw light in the darkest of times to write about happenings in the past that wallowed our development endlessly.


Meanwhile, since the birth of Gambian literature in 1773 ( when the first Gambian author was published), there have been a very few number of Gambian authors renowned all over the World for their work, for those who have done a lot in the much respectable field of literature. THUS, the need for OUR GENERATION.

1. The First Female Gambian Writer  ( The Mother of Gambian Literature )

Phillis Wheatley ( from the Aku tribe of The Gambia,  one of the decendants of Free-Slaves from Freetown), also spelled Phyllis Wheatly ( c. 1753- December 5, 1784) was the first published Gambian female poet.  Born in The Gambia,  she was sold into slavery in North America at the age of eight. She wrote a collection of poems on various subjects, and was published on September 1, 1773.

Despite that most slaves had hardly receive a better education much more be able to read and write in the English language, Phillis had a sharp brain and read wider and in no time- she became the first African American writer from The Gambia to publish a poetry book.


2.  Lady Augusta Jawara ( from the Aku tribe of The Gambia, one of the decendants of Free-Slaves from Freetown)

Another influential female Gambian writer who shaped Gambian literature from post-independence is Hannah Augusta Jawara. She was born in Banjul, The Gambia in May 1924 and died on January 21, 1981.

Her famous work is Rebellion ( A play ). She was the first Gambian nurse, a playwright and activist for women's rights. Having seen a very low interest and proliferation in Gambian literature because by then Gambians hardly write, and as the first wife of first Gambian president  Sir. Dawda Kairaba Jawara, she adopted the penname Ramatoulie Kinteh and wrote about Gambian culture and women.


3. Dr. Lenrie Peters  ( The Father of Gambian Literature )

Lenrie Peters also an Aku and also known as Leopold Wilfred was a Gambian surgeon,  a poet and novelist. He died on May 28, 2009.  He is a founding-member of The Writers' Association of The Gambia ( WAG). He is the only Gambian from 1773 to receive international acclaim for his work and garnered fame for Gambian literature. His books include: The Second Round,  Katchikali, Selected Poetry and Satellites.

For more information about Gambian literature and writing, click on this link to see all writers from The Gambia:


http://www.self.gutenberg.org/articles/List_of_Gambian_writers


See you here next week Friday, and have a nice weekend!


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