chidi opara reports network members in Port Harcourt report that the Garden city Literary Festival(GCLF) organized for the second year by the Rainbow Book Club and the Rivers State Government ended yesterday on an impressive note.
The festival tagged "Garden City Literary Festival 09" with the theme "Building Bridges" started on wednesday at the five star Hotel Presidential with the governor of Rivers State Mr. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi as guest of honour. "I note with satisfaction the amount of industry that have gone into the planning and organization of this festival, particularly the impressive array of renowned writers invited to participate in it", the governor told participants in a speech at the opening session.
Mrs. Koko Kolango, the founder of Rainbow Book Club said that "The festival aims to provide a platform for networking between players in the book chain industry, literary connoisseurs and the general public".
Absence of the renowned Kenyan writer and activist, Professor Ngugi Wa Thiongo on the opening day some how dampened enthusiasm, but the presence of Nigerian renowned poet amd playwright, Professor John Pepper-Clark brought some pomps to the ocassion on the first day. Mrs Buchi Emecheta, renowned Nigerian feminist writer could not attend as advertised due to ill health.
Ngugi Wa Thiongo who was to deliever a keynote address on: "Transitions And Continuities In African Literature", made up for his absence at the opening on friday during a writers' workshop and on saturday during the "meet the author" session.
The festival rounded up with an impressive performance of Professor Clark's play "The Wives Revolt" by students of Theatre Arts Department of the University Of Portharcourt and a superlative musical concert by a Port Harcourt based coral group led by 80-year-old Charles Wakama.
Mrs. Sarah Abimbola, a participant who claimed to be "in the book business" was full of praises for the organizers and the Rivers State government. She implored chidi opara reports to "please appeal to other states governors to sponsor events like this".
Mr. Chidi Anthony Opara, a poet and Publisher/Editor-In-Chief of this medium, who was a participant however opined that "writers like Professor Ngugi should have used the forum to canvass for a modification of governor Amaechi's policy of rendering the common people in Port Harcourt homeless and shopless through demolition of structures without provision of alternatives". "What will they do with the paltry sums paid as compensations, which in most cases are paid to the so called landlords anyway?", he queried.
