YWAG To Stage A National Young Writers' Festival In 2019

The New Executive of The Young Writers' Association of The Gambia  ( YWAG ) has yesterday, 03rd August,  2018, paid a courtesy visit to Mr. Hassoum Ceesay the Vice President of The Writers' Association of The Gambia  ( WAG), the Director of Copyright and Cultural Heritage at The National Centre for Arts and Culture / The Gambia National Museum in Banjul.


The delegation was led by Mr.  Kebba Mamburay,  the Chairperson of The Young Writers' Association of The Gambia  ( YWAG). The Meeting was chaired by the PRO of YWAG,  Mr. Muhammed Lamin Drammeh-Csay; and the following things were discussed:


AGENDA FOR THE COURTESY VISIT TO WAG



1. Formally INTRODUCE the New YWAG EXECUTIVE to the entire WAG.

2. Seek their guardianship and experience as a Youth-Wing UNDER them.

3. Seek their joint-collaborations by staging the First NATIONAL YOUNG WRITERS' FESTIVAL in January  2019.

The Festival will BE a Grand fund- RAISING event to gather all young writers' in and outside The Gambia to do the following:

A. Celebrate the 7 Years Anniversary of YWAG founded on 7 January 2012

B. Stage The Night of Spoken Word Gala which itself will be the fund-RAISING Event.  All Spoken Word Artists in The Gambia will be performing in the event; to include dramas, lectures, and the Award ceremony.


C. To give the annual Young Gambian Writers' Award for Literature in the following:

1. Best Male Young Gambian Writer Award for Literature 2019

2. Best Female Young Gambian Writer Award for Literature 2019


( The Award CRITERIA is as follow:

1.  The young writers' must be a Gambian citizen

2.  Must at least published a full complete book alone ( no co-authored books are eligible for the prize). Two or more books can be entered.

3. Must be less than 33 years old

4. Must be living in or outside The Gambia

5. Must send details of their books to the Secretary General of YWAG latest before 31st December 2018. A maximum of two books are allowed for ENTRY to the Prize.


THE AWARD WILL BE JUDGED BY THE EXECUTIVE OF YWAG ACCORDING TO THE FOLLOWING:

1. Quality of the book and the publisher that published the book.

2. Impact of the book globally

3. Has any of the books being approved by MoBSE to be used in schools.

THE FOLLOWING NAMES ARE THE AUTHORS' SHORTLISTED FOR THE PRIZE:





1. Modou Lamin Sowe well-known by his penname Modou Lamin Age-Almusaf Sowe alias ML: ENTRIES: (  The Throne of The Ghost and The Memories of Reflection)


2. Famara Fofana: ENTRIES: (  When My Village Was My Village and his recent book, A Recollections of An African Child.



3. Adam Nyang :  ENTRIES : ( Her debut novel,  "Agonies and Misfortunes."





4. Ebrima B. Sawaneh, ENTRIES: ( His debut book: " The 12 Proven Secrets To Pass Any Professional Exam At The First Sitting"




5.  Marabi S. Hydara alias Tha Poet: ENTRIES: ( his debut poetry collection " Food for The Soul"





6. Isatou Jallow alias Barbie : ENTRIES : ( Her debut novel " The Weekend. ")