By Yunus S Saliu
Making use of opportunity accorded her at the writer residency, a young Gambian writer, Bintou N Sanneh, has completed two books within a period of six-week at the Ebedi International Writers Residency program in Iseyin, Oyo State, Nigeria.
The young author was among the set of selected four young female writers from different countries who participated in the last June/July 2019 edition of the Ebedi International Writers Residency in Nigeria.
Recounting her experience at the Residency she said the program greatly exposed her to many new things in term of writing experience, culture, social life and lots.
Ebedi International Writers Residency is a private initiative program established in 2010 to provide a comfortable and very conducive place for writers wishing to complete their works in progress without any cost attach to it. Doing about seven session a year, the Residency offers a six-week program for each set with full board facility and has since its establishment hosted over hundred writers from ten African countries, many of whom have worn several local and international literary prizes.
Bintou N Sanneh who recently returned to The Gambia said with the opportunity the Residency accorded her during the training program she was able to complete two different children story books namely ‘Message To Mummy’ and ‘Why Did You Covered The Face of The Innocent’ – a poem book. She is presently working on another book titled – ‘A Trip to Nigeria.’ This book she said will portray her gathered experience in Nigeria.
Still on her experience at the Ebedi International Writers Residency, she disclosed that the program exposed her into new life and culture of writing “and as well taught me a lot of things that I have never came across.” Her other assignments at the Residency during the training involved some field works like visit to different schools in the communities to teach the young ones how to read and write and as well encourage them to learn the culture of reading. Also, she met some communities’ leader in Iseyin, Oyo State and in Bauchi State (in northern part of the Nigeria) where she was invited to literary festival organized by the State national center for arts and culture.
Bintou commended the people of the host country for their hard work and for boosting their educational system. She thanked and applauded the host, Ebedi International Writers Residency, for a job well done especially on their plans and readiness to partner with Writers Association of The Gambia and National Centre for Arts and Culture for intertwined programs.
Bintou N Sanneh is a young activist, author and a student at the University of The Gambia; she is currently the assistant treasurer of the Writers Association of The Gambia (WAG), her first book ready for publication is titled ‘Poor African Child.’
