One of the recipients receiving a certificate of honour
THE GHANA Association of Writers (GAW) has awarded some outstanding Ghanaian writers.
The association awarded about 23 contestants across the 11 competitive awards category with certificates and cash.
Most of the winners were youthful, and about eight people were awarded with Distinguished Service Award, Ghana Book Publisher Association, Bureau of Ghanaian Languages and Ghana Library Authority. There were also distinguished service awards in the 2ndGAW 2018 Literary Awards.
Speaking at the event, President of the Association, Nana Kwasi Gyan Apenteng, disclosed that GAW was conceived as an annual event to honour outstanding literary achievements by Ghanaian writers.
He bemoaned that “the awards event became dormant for many years due to challenging setbacks that bedevilled GAW way back made of political, social and financial circumstances.”
Guest speaker for the occasion, Roberta Gardiner, underscored the need for parents to allow children to make their career choice.
She charged students to manage their time judiciously to identify their potentials.
According to her, “It is not right for parents to choose future career for their children; children should be allowed to chose and showcase to prove their talent”.
This year, GAW has 11 competitive awards categories which include novel, short story, poetry, children’s story book, young writer, creative nonfiction, drama, spoken words, script writing and Ghanaian language. The event also confers a number of achievements and distinguished service awards on notable literary personalities who have contributed immensely in various ways to the development of literature and art in the country.
The awards are named after benevolent personalities who played a vital role in literature in the country. They include Ayikwei Armah, Ama Ata Aidoo, Atukwei Okai, Efua Sutherland, Kwesi Brew, Bill Marshall, Kofi Awoonor, Efo Mawugbe, Kofi Anyidoho, Kwaw Ansah and Kate Abbam.
The theme for this year’s GAW literary awards is: “Honouring Literary Excellence”. Ambitious to direct attention to individuals and institutions that continue to exemplify distinction in Ghanaian literature, the awards are in recognition of the efforts and achievements of individuals in the industry.
BY Paul Nyojah Dalafu