The Ghana Association of Writers (GAW) and the Ghanaian Centre of PEN International have agreed to collaborate in advancing the interest of writers in Ghana. The two organizations firmed their decision during a meeting last Saturday at PAWA House in Accra. The President of the Ghanaian PEN, Alhaji Abdul-Rahman Harruna Attah, who tabled the proposal, said it would be in the interest of the two bodies to pool resources and collaborate on mutually beneficial projects. It was agreed that membership of the two organizations should be “interchangeable” where GAW members can regard themselves as PEN members automatically and vice versa. The President of GAW, Mr. Gyan Appenteng expressed satisfaction at the arrangement and invited PEN to join in the 55th anniversary celebration of GAW, which takes place this year. He spelt out the year-long programme and said the intention is to create an atmosphere that would bring out more writers. PEN International celebrates literature and promotes freedom of expression. Founded in 1921, the global community of writers now spans more than 100 countries. PEN’s campaigns, events, publications and programmes aim to connect writers and readers wherever they are in the world. The African Centres of PEN late last year met in Dakar, Senegal and ratified the Pan African Network of PEN International with a formal structure. Alhaji Abdul-Rahman Harruna Attah was elected the first Secretary General. Professor Atukwei Okai, one time President of GAW is General Secretary of the Pan African Writers Association (PAWA). He was present at the GAW-PEN meeting.
Source: GhanaWeb
