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The Garden City, Port Harcourt, was alive when literary giants converged to witness the unveiling of Port Harcourt as UNESCO’s World Book Capital 2014, reports Assistant Editor (Arts) Ozolua Uhakheme

In spite of his age, 91-year-old literary giant Pa Gabriel Okara stood alone for minutes on the dais. Sitting adjacent were other literary scholars, such as the Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka; Elechi Amadi, Prof Ebiegberi Joe Alagoa, UNESCO Director/Country representative Mr Joseph Ngu, who represented the Director-General, Irina Bokova; Veronique Tadjo, Igoni Barrett, Doreen Baingana and Chibundu Onuzo, among others. He was there to read one of his poems – The Call of River Nun – to an audience comprising writers and literary enthusiasts.

Before he started reading, he apologised to the audience, saying: “Please forgive me for not saying all protocols observed.”

Wearing a white top on a pair of brown trousers and a cap to match, Pa Okara literally ‘acted’ his poem before the guests who were listening with rapt attention. A thunderous applause greeted the end of his rendition.

The occasion was the celebration of the power of written words and the venue was the Main Banquet Hall, Hotel Presidential, Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital. It opened last Monday and ended on Saturday, October 20.

The annual festival, which had as theme, Women In Literature, featured book fair, creative writing, drama and art workshops for children and adults, was organised by Rainbow Book Club and supported by the Rivers State government, Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency and Access Bank.

In fact, the event was a double celebration of a sort: unveiling the city of Port Harcourt’s nomination as UNESCO World Book Capital 2014 and the launch of a book, Nigerian Literature, a Coat of Many Colours.

Earlier at a symposium moderated by Prof Chioma Okpara, Pa Okara said irrespective of styles, most writers talk about the same issues of concern to the society. He said writers whether male or female should be themselves.

“If a female singer changes her voice to sing in a male voice, what makes her do so? Or can it be done? Male or female, be yourself. Let the critics or readers talk about it. When I am writing, I don’t talk of gender. So, I don’t think female writers should occupy themselves with issues of being women,” he added.

Governor Rotimi Amaechi said literature cannot divorce itself from the society, adding that literature has nothing to do with gender. He said the nation is blessed with male and female writers, yet the problems in the society still persist. He described Chinua Achebe’s Man of the People as his favourite novel, which, he said, describes the political landscape of the post-independent Nigeria.

“I love Chinua Achebe’s stories. He is very simple in presentation. When I am angry, I will pick his book, Man of the People, and there you find the politicians of post-independent Nigeria,” he said.

“One problem most writers who do not study literature face is that they try to adopt a style. But what was the style of renowned writers such as Amos Tutuola?” he observed.

Key note speaker Mrs Tadjo said African women writers are continuing the path opened by their male and female predecessors.

“Our expectation is that their increased visibility and scope will allow for new readings of history and the elaboration of new thinking about Africa today,” she added. According to her, the dilemma most African writers have to face could be compared to the dilemma that most women experience in their fight for gender equality. But that they simply want to have the same rights as men. She noted that since this is still denied them in many countries, they must continue to affirm their presence as women.”But their final objective is for their womanhood to be fully accepted in their societies,” she said. Continuing, she said: “In this sense, African writers regardless of gender who want to be considered as “writers and nothing else” must be aware that they will never be recognised as such unless they fully assume their African identity since this is precisely what stands in the way of achieving their goal.

“For African literature to be part of world literature, while retaining a distinctive identity, it is necessary to nurture the African readership which is growing too slowly. It is a matter of urgency for everybody including African writers to get involved in the development of a reading culture instead of lamenting its absence. African writers should be well aware of the fact that when their works are exclusively published abroad, they cut themselves off from their potential readership and delay its emergence.”

She noted that the new role of African writers is to produce works for African readership and to actively encourage its development. Young people, she said, also deserve to have access to books in which they can recognise themselves, and books which speak to them.

Mrs Tadjo listed self censorship and political harassment as part of the restrictions, wondering how writers find space without being self-censored? She, however, advised young female writers to make a good choice of husband because writing as a woman is a team work.

Renowned author Amadi observed that men and women writers live in different situations but in a man’s world. He said there is no way to get into the psychological way of a woman than reading her book.

“You can never get into the inside of a woman except through her book. Sexual discrimination is a reality and when you are in that situation, you are bound to colour it same way those in apartheid struggle did in South Africa. With women writing, we get the complete picture of the world. Thank God, women are writing,” he said.

Amadi observed that half the human race is made of women yet there are differences in many ways in their world view.

Head of English Department, University of Port Harcourt, Prof Onyemachi Udumukwu, said every writer must be answerable to his calling as well as be committed to his craft. He identified the use of first person point of view as a common thread in books by most female writers, which, he said, explains the peculiar situation of female writers in a male-dominated society.

“But for cannonisation, writers must master the arts and take note of the characterisation and plotting of his books.”

Chibundu Onuzo said writing on overflowing gutters or children hawkers on the streets, points to government’s failure in governance. She said it is not selfish to create art for art sake, but noted that “if you create to engage, you are opening the window wider for the message.”

On what constitute restrictions to her writing, she said: Electricity was my hindrance while writing in Nigeria. However, in Europe, there is the view that the novel is dead whereas in Africa, reading culture is on the increase.”

Ugandan author Doreen Baingana said it is difficult to separate art from the message. She argued that when a writer concentrates on the message, he loses the artistic essence of the book, which turns the book into a pamphlet. To her, female movements such as feminism and womanism are a choice thing.

“In Uganda, the government feels literature is not as important as science. So, I find it difficult to live on literature in Uganda. But I had to support women writers in Uganda to develop literature and writing,” she said of her challenges as a female writer in Uganda.

Renowned historian Prof E J Alagoa noted that in Niger Delta, women are the creative voice of the people.

Founder, Rainbow Book Club, Mrs Koko Kalango, said the festival would continue to be a platform for expression and exposure of writers as well as a place where all players in the book chain industry would be able to meet, network, exchange and do business.

“A reading people are a thinking people. In a reading society, a thinking society, when we see a broken down fuel tanker, we do not take our buckets and go there to fetch petrol to sell for a little money. A thinking person knows that this is a dangerous thing to do as a single match can start a blaze that can kill dozens of people in minutes,” she said.

Mrs Kalango continued: “In a reading society, when ravaging floods turn our country into one vast swimming pool and our possessions are floating away before our eyes and we realise our livelihood is threatened, society as a whole would come together to find a solution and a way to survive.”

She urged Nigerians to take on the challenge as Port Harcourt is nominated UNESCO World Book Capital 2014, and to work together to show the world that Nigeria is a reading and thinking society.