Accra (Greater Accra) 19 June 2002 - A poetry book, titled "Ghana reveals her secrets," by Mr Omar Salem, a Libyan Poet, was launched in Accra on Monday. The 105 page book with 21 titles and described as the "Labour Of Love", produces a resounding tribute to the beauty, spirituality, love, generosity and fortitude of Ghana and Africa in the words of a 'charm of a country and the magnificence of a continent.'
Mrs Joyce Wereko-Brobbey, Executive Secretary of Ghana Chamber of Mines, who launched it, said the book published on the eve of the establishment of the African Union, would bring to fruition the ardent desire for ideas of Africa's Unity espoused by the founding fathers of the continent.
Mrs Wereko-Brobbey, who described the book as an African poetic romance, said, " it is an inspirational artistic work which presents a universal message that emanates from the west and spreads to the north and south of Africa, reveals Nkrumah's vision of Africa in a symbolic, prophetic and mysterious manner".
She said "though Africa might have suffered from all the indignities associated with colonial rule, the poet presents a beret of hope by sounding a trumpet to exorcise and galvanise every sleeping soul to action. "This shows the poet's confidence in the African soul determined to transform the continent and her socio-economic life."
Reviewing the book, Dr Audrey Gadzekpo, a Lecturer at the School of Communications Studies, University of Ghana, said the "poet's expression of love, encouragement, hope and belief in the potential of Africa is unreserved. They bear no caveats, are not predicated on self-interest, nor disguised in conditionalities".
Dr Gadzekpo said, "the book brings optimism by proclaiming Africa's ability to strongly rise up and fly again while creating a new alphabetical hope in the face of despondency and scepticism about Africa's ability to rise from the ashes of colonialism".
She said the "poet also strives to capture the complexity of emotions that this continent inspires, but remains unequivocal in declaring - 'Africa is a star with which no star compares'".
Dr Gadzekpo said "the poet had succeeded in communicating what he feels through the use of a powerful imagery and representation by describing Ghana as a 'soaring splendour', a country that fills hearts with warmth and love and great sense of generosity, 'a star hurled on the page of memory' and Africa as 'the sun of tomorrow, the day of the future'".
Mr Atukwei Okai, Secretary General of the Pan African Writers Association (PAWA) in a welcoming address called on African Publishers to improved upon the designing, packaging and marketing aspects of the industry to meet international standards.
He also called for publications to be made in the indigenous African languages. Mr Okai said, "there are still quite a few countries in Africa where indigenous publishing is yet to take off and this is a point of concern for us the writers and for PAWA in particular".
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