Literature: the 34th International Day of the African Writer celebrated from November 7 to 11
Placed under the theme “Writing for a quest for humanity”, this edition will honor the Republic of Congo and the Congolese writer Armel Saint Silvère Dongou. Several activities are planned, including a conference on the evolution of Negro-African literature.
The 34th International Day of the African Writer will be held from November 7 to 11 around the theme “Writing for a quest for humanity”. The announcement was made by the vice-president of the Association of Writers of Senegal (AES), Seydi Sow, quoted by the APS, during a press conference organized as a prelude to the event.
In an international context marked by violence, tensions and divisions, the organizers intend to put the role of literature in the promotion of human values and living together at the heart of the debate.
“At this precise moment across the world, there is violence, tears, tensions. It is important to move towards the quest for humanity, to find this element which brings us all together on planet Earth,” explained Seydi Sow.
For the vice-president of the AES, writers, as “bearers of the word”, have a particular responsibility in this approach. Their writing must help to raise awareness and recall the values that underpin humanity. “If we don’t find our humanity, we won’t know where to go,” he insisted.
The Republic of Congo is the guest country of honor for this 34th edition. The Congolese writer Armel Saint Silvère Dongou will be its godfather. Presented as a reference author, he will be celebrated in particular through a day dedicated to him, during which texts from his works will be read by writers and journalists.
Several activities are also on the program, including a conference on the theme “Evolution of Negro-African literature, the attitude towards the integration of the peoples of Africa”. It will be moderated by Gambian diplomat Mamadou Tangara.
Through this celebration, the Senegal Writers’ Association intends to recall the place of literature in dialogue between peoples and its contribution to the construction of a world more based on humanity and solidarity.
