The president of Writers Association of The Gambia (WAG) has said “reading culture is dying in The Gambia”.

Dr Cherno Omar Barry, who is also the executive secretary of the National Human Rights Commission, made these remarks at the launch of “Risky Paths to Success” a book by Gambian author and poet Ramatoulie O. Uthman at the American Corner, Kairaba Avenue.

Dr Barry said reading is important to education and people will question others education if they are too lazy to read.

“The reasons why we read are to increase our knowledge, widen our understanding of the world, and improve our grammar. If you do not read you will not have excellent reading and writing skills.

“Reading makes you to be tolerant. If you don’t read you perish, you become emotional.

“You don’t have to be intelligent or hold a BA to write books. Reading inspires you to write,” he said.

Hassoum Ceesay, historian and Director General of the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) spoke on the importance of reading, noting that some people possess degrees but “to write a normal letter is a problem”, adding that “the same thing affects the newsrooms in The Gambia. That is why reading is good.”

Commenting on the book authored by Ramatoulie Uthman he said “the lessons learned are that we have to make our country liveable, we have to build our homeland.”  

Mr Ceesay explained among others that Ms Uthman portrays in her book that “we can make it at home without risking our lives through irregular migrations”.

Ramatoulie Uthman said she was motivated to write her book after her work experience with the Social Welfare Department through which she met broken and traumatised families which compelled some family members to risk their lives through the back way to Europe.

She explained that her book portrayed how Alasan was abused by his Uncle after taking him from the provinces which compelled him to go through the back way, but later returned home unsuccessful. He found colleagues he left home were successful.

“Alasan later learned skills and developed himself upon his return and became successful, but those he left behind were ahead of him.
I explain how you can rise above your level in my book,”she said.

Ms Uthman among others advised that elders need to transfer knowledge to the younger generation.

Other speakers included Modou Lamin Sowe , secretary general  of the Gambia Writers Association.

By Madi S. Njie