Dr. Martin Egblewogbe
The 2019 edition of PaGya Literary Festival will open at the Goethe-Institut on Friday, October 18 in Accra with a number of activities such as readings, workshops, virtual reality presentations, publisher interactions, book launches, panel discussions, among others.
Presenters, facilitators of workshops, readers and panel discussants include Prof. Kofi Anyidoho (Ghana), Nico Alexander Bleutge (Germany), Phillipa Yaa de Villiers (South Africa), Nametso Ponchi (Botswana) and Oyinkanola Ifeoluwa Braitwaite (Nigeria).
Others are Prof. Esi Sutherland (Ghana), Henkou Patron (Togo), Theodore Ndebi (Cameroon), Prof. Ato Quayson (Ghana), Sylvia Vollenhoven (South Africa), Rev. Father Ositadimma Amakeze (Nigeria), Tanya Evanson (Canda), Yaaba Badoe (United Kingdom) and Ayesha Haruna Atta (Ghana).
Workshops for practising and aspiring writers would feature topics such as ‘How To Write Historical Fiction’, ‘Blogging 101 – How To Create Content & Monetize Your Blog’, ‘Writing Young Adult Fiction’, ‘Writing Non-Fiction’, alongside workshops on poetry and spoken word.
Two documentary films by award-winning journalist/writer Sylvia Vollenhoven and Nigerian academic Louisa Egbunike would be screened together with performances featuring poets from Ghana, Botswana, South Africa and Nigeria.
Prof. Ato Quayson is scheduled to make a number of presentations and participate in panel discussions alongside colleagues from the University of Ghana, including Dr. Victoria Smith, Prof. Helen Yitah and Prof. Audrey Gadzekpo.
Goethe-Institut Ghana is sponsoring the festival, which is being organised by the Writers Project, under the direction of Dr. Martin Egblewogbe of the University of Ghana, Legon. Foundation for Contemporary Art Ghana is hosting some of the events of PaGya, which ends on Sunday, October 20.