By Yunus S Saliu
Two Gambian authors Mariama Khan and Essa Bah Saturday launched their new books titled ‘The Gambia-Senegal Border: Issues in Regional Integration and Dynamic Cultures and The African Child.’ The launching of the two books took place at the Gambia Tourism and Hospitality Institute (GTHI), Kanifing.
The first launched book at occasion titled The Gambia-Senegal: Issues in Regional Integration was written by a Gambian Scholar and University don Mariama Khan. The 225-page book was published by Routledge and it was reviewed by Lamin BT Sanyang.
Mariama Khan who is currently teaching history at Lehman College, New York had earlier published many works on aspects of Gambian literature, proverbs and film.
The second book launched was written by Essa Bah titled Dynamic Cultures and The African Child, it is a 70-page book published by Fulladu and was reviewed by Cherno Omar Barry, President of Writers’ Association of The Gambia
Essa Bah is a police officer with the Gambia Police Force and works in the Gender and Child Protection Unit, his first published novel is entitled Mission Accomplished.
In general overview of the two books, Hassoum Ceesay, historian commended the two authors of the two different books.
On the book titled The Gambia-Senegal: Issues in Regional Integration authored by Mariama Khan, he said the book stands out from the rest on Senegal-Gambia relations as it focus among other things the role, fate and experiences of the small people in the relations between the two brotherly countries.
Hassoum commented that “previous studies had put much emphasis on the role of politicians in forging the links between the two countries. Here ms Khan taps into a new vein by putting at the centre of her study the daily experiences of men and women who live along the borderlands of The Gambia-Senegal or who cross it daily in pursuit of trade, commerce, education or family relations. This is a new addition to Gambian-Senegal studies.”
Briefly on the second book written by Essa Bah he said the books among other things will take the readers back to real African culture and tradition before the colonization.
He noted that the author has shown his concern in term of unit and development of Africa.
Hassoum Ceesay who is also the director general of the National Center for Arts and Culture urged everyone to have the two books in their books shelve because they are both valuable and important.
