Dr. Ruby Goka Joins Readathon Campaign

While still basking in rave reviews for its impressive Kumasi outing, the National Readathon Campaign heads off to the Volta Region to delight book lovers. Slated for November 19, 2016 at Ho Polytechnic, the event is dubbed, ‘’Romancing Ho Sebitically’’. At this much-expected session, the literati are expected to be entertained to a lively evening ...

While still basking in rave reviews for its impressive Kumasi outing, the National Readathon Campaign heads off to the Volta Region to delight book lovers.

Slated for November 19, 2016 at Ho Polytechnic, the event is dubbed, ‘’Romancing Ho Sebitically’’. At this much-expected session, the literati are expected to be entertained to a lively evening of literary pleasure and though-provoking discussions on Ghanaian contemporary life.

A highlight of the Ho Road Show will be the presentation of Ghanaian dentist and award-winning author Dr. Ruby Yayra Goka as the Readathon Guest Reader of the last quarter of 2016.

“I feel much honoured to be part of this movement. Indeed, this initiative is a great honour to every Ghanaian writer’’, said Ruby, who just won the Burt Award for African Literature for 2015, and is the author of 10 books which include The Step-Monster, Plain Yellow, The Mystery of the Haunted House and In the Middle of Nowhere. Six of her books for young adults have won prizes in CODE’s Burt Award for African Literature completion in Ghana.

Project partners Nana Awere Damoah and Kofi Akpabli have since 2013 worked together to promote reading for pleasure among Ghanaians. Their DAkpabli initiative also provides technical support for book writing and publications. Over the months the campaign has received a boost with the coming on board of sponsors, the latest being Unicorn Car Rentals which will provide transportation for the DAkpabli team on its regional book reading tours. Other sponsoring companies are MTN, THREADEX, WearGhana, Norte Sobolo, Sasa Clothing, Fali’s Fruit Bay and  AJ’s Housekeeping Services.

“We are delighted that an army of sponsors is gradually coalescing around our dream to make reading hip among our people,’’ said Nana Awere Damoah who is also a chemical engineer.

So far Damoah and Akpabli have produced public reading events at Coconut Grove Hotel, Vidya Bookshop, SyTris Bookshop, PaJohn’s, Jamrock Restaurant, and KNUST campus.

The duo, who refer to themselves as ‘’intellectual entertainers’’, have consistently thrilled patrons with excerpts from their books such as Romancing Ghanaland, Tickling the Ghanaian Sebitically Speaking and I Speak of Ghana.

With 11 books between them, the two writers continue on their mission to make reading hip again, and to take writing and reading to the level of pop culture. They believe that reading should be done for pleasure as well, and not only for exams and industry. According to both writers, the event also aims to diversify the social offerings currently available on the entertainment scene.

“Romancing Ho Sebitically” runs between 5.30pm and 8pm, and involves four rounds of readings from the works of the three accomplished Ghanaian authors.

About the Authors

Kofi Akpabli is a media consultant and travel writer whose latest work has been published in a new Commonwealth Non-Fiction Anthology launched in the UK in May 2016.  He is a two-time winner of the CNN/Multichoice African Journalist for Arts and Culture. Kofi has also won GJA and National awards in Culture and Tourism. He writes a travel column Going Places in The Mirror newspaper, published weekly in Accra.

Amongst his books are: Harmattan – a Cultural Profile of Northern Ghana, Romancing Ghanaland: the Beauty of Ten Regions, A Sense of Savannah – Tales of a Friendly Walk through Northern Ghana, and Tickling the Ghanaian – Encounters with Contemporary Culture. Kofi is a member of Faculty, Central University. His scholarly interests include the research and dissemination of key values of African culture. Kofi Akpabli lives at a village near Accra with his wife and children.

Nana Awere Damoah holds a Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Nottingham and a Bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). A British Council Chevening alumnus, Nana works in Nigeria as a Technical Manager.

In 1997, Nana won first prize in the Step Magazine National Writing Competition. He is the author of six books: Nsempiisms, Sebitically Speaking, I Speak of Ghana, Tales from Different Tails, Through the Gates of Thought, and Excursions in my Mind. His sixth book, Nsempiisms, was just released on Amazon globally in October 2016. Nana Awere Damoah is married with three children. He divides his time between Lagos and Tema.

Dr Ruby Yayra Goka is a dentist by profession. She is also a six-time Burt Award for African Literature winner for her educative young adult books. When she isn’t holding conversations with imaginary people in her head, she will be found either reading, gardening, travelling or spending time with her two dogs and turtle.

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By: citifmonline.com/Ghana

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