RBC Adds a Colourful Feather to Mr. President's Cap

The last day in the month of January 2013 will remain special in the history of the Rainbow Book Club (RBC). On that beautiful Thursday morning, President Goodluck Jonathan was welcomed as an honorary member of the Rainbow Book Club. 

The occasion was the formal presentation of the book; Nigerian Literature: A Coat of Many Colours, to the President at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja. The Founder of the RBC, in company of trustees and patrons paid a courtesy visit to the Nigerian President for the book presentation.

The book, a pictorial anthology of fifty Nigerian writers, is the first of its kind in Nigeria. Compiled by the founder of Rainbow Book Club, Mrs. Koko Kalango, the foreword to the book was written by the President. Nigerian Literature: A Coat of Many Colours features legendary writers including J P Clark, Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Buchi Emecheta, Flora Nwapa, James Henshaw; and contemporary writers such as Chimamanda Adiche, Helon Habila and Kaine Agary.

In presenting the book, Mrs Kalango pointed out that it was an important national document that should be in every library in the country. She also said it would make an excellent gift from the President to his international guests. In addition she suggested that the book be placed in Nigerian embassies and foreign missions all over the world. She then went on to share with the President her plans to produce a revised edition of the book to feature hundred authors in commemoration of Nigeria’s centenary. 

While thanking Mr President for initiating the “Bring Back the Book” Project and the priority given to education in his 2013 budget, Mrs Kalango used the opportunity to intimate the President on the nomination of Port Harcourt by UNESCO as the World Book Capital City in 2014. The nomination was made possible by the bid submitted by the Rainbow Book Club. Ten other cities across the world, including Oxford  bidded. This is the first time a city in Sub- Saharan Africa will be holding the title in the fourteen years of nominations. “This nomination”, Mrs. Kalango pointed out, “is an honour to Nigeria and Africa as a whole.”

Through this investiture, Mr. President joins the list of honorary members of the Rainbow Book Club, which include Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Rev. Jesse Jackson and Professor Wole Soyinka.

Koko Kalango: A Reading Society is a Thinking Society

I am honoured to stand before you today to welcome you to this wonderful city of Port Harcourt and to the Garden City Literary Festival 2012. This year’s festival is special for several reasons: this is our 5th outing and we are looking at a very topical subject: Women in Literature, with a focus on Africa. This broad theme is interesting because it allows us to examine the work of women who are operating in the literary space - writers, publishers, booksellers, literary critics. We will also be looking at what women write about and how relevant female writing is to our modern world, plus we will be looking at the way women are portrayed in literature.

To tackle this exciting topic, we are joined by authors, critics, scholars and the reading public. We welcome our main guest writers – Veronique Tadjo, the Ivorian poet, songwriter, playwright and scholar, Doreen Biangana, author of Tales from Entebbe, from Uganda, Chibundu Onuzo the talented young author of The Spider King’s Daughter and Noo Saro Wiwa writer of Looking for Transwonderland; Travels in Nigeria. In addition, we have a brilliant line up of workshop facilitators, discussants in the symposium and seminars, exhibitors at our book fair and of course our visitors, who are the backbone of this festival.

We are also pleased to be presenting our book; Nigerian Literature, a Coat of Many Colours, which is a coffee table book highlighting the works of 50 prominent Nigerian authors.  We are grateful that the foreword to this book is written by no less than President Jonathan while the introduction is written by Rivers State’s leading literature connoisseur - Governor Rotimi Amaechi. We hope this work will be a valuable contribution to Nigeria’s literary heritage.

There is another reason why Garden City Literary Festival 2012 is important; -  this year, our beloved city of Port Harcourt has been chosen to be UNESCO World Book Capital 2014! This is both an honour and a challenge to our city and we stand on the platform of our 5th festival to announce our nomination to the world. Port Harcourt has some exciting times ahead.

Over the years we have featured writers of this great city such as; Elechi Amadi, Gabriel Okara, Igoni Barrett, Kaine Agary and Chimeka Garricks. On this historic occasion those of them present will join us in the symbolic unveiling of our beloved city of Port Harcourt as UNESCO World Book Capital 2014. 

This city has previously welcomed literary legends such as the Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Koffi Awoonor, Ama Atta Aidoo, J P Clark and their younger counterparts like Chimamanda Adichie, Sefi Atta, Helon Habila, Adaobi Nwaubani and Zainab Jallo to the city for various literature programmes. Last year, we even had the privilege of hosting two important world figures as guests of honour – Chief Emeka Anyaoku, the former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth and the Rev. Jesse Jackson the American civil rights activist.

But for every big name, there are several others, not so well known, but very important men and women, boys and girls, being groomed on this platform. It is our desire that the festival will continue to be a platform for expression and exposure of writers as well as a place where all players in the book chain industry – from readers to writers to publishers - will be able to meet, network, exchange ideas and do business.

The vision that I hope we all share for Port Harcourt is of a city where literary talent is nurtured and where reading and writing is the norm. A city where aspiring writers are encouraged to soar to new heights. A city where the writer is free.

We have said before that our work is a double edged sword – reading and writing. If you take a look at our logo, you’ll see that it has a map of Africa in it, with light emanating from Port Harcourt to the rest of Africa. This portrays the vision of the Rainbow Book Club to use literacy as a tool for development in Africa, beginning right here in the city of Port Harcourt. The light in the logo signifies enlightenment and that is what literacy does for a society.

A reading people is 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 a dangerous thing to do as a single match can start a blaze that can kill dozens of people in minutes.

A reading society is a thinking society. 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 to find a way to survive. 

If four boys between the ages of 18 and 24 in your community are accused of anti social behaviour like stealing a laptop and a blackberry phone or even more serious allegations – like cult activity - what would a thinking society’s response be? Faced with such a situation, the thinking society would realise that suspects are entitled to a fair hearing in a court of law and if found guilty, then those suspects will pay the penalty according to the law. A reading society would not drag those suspects through its streets, beat them up, strip them naked, pour petrol on them and burn them like logs of wood. The reading society does not take the law into their hands, and kill people without mercy.  No, that is not the response of a reading society, that is not the response of a thinking society.

Some people say this is the result of poverty and they ask, ‘does reading put food on the table?’  The link between reading and prosperity lies in the fact that we live in a knowledge economy. To cope with the demands of our present world, developing our human capital is essential. Reading is a sure way to access information. Information is power. Information exposes you to the stories and examples of others from which one may learn how to improve on their own life. More importantly, information opens doors that lead even the poorest people to new horizons.

Reading brings light. That is why our logo has a light from Port Harcourt to the rest of Africa. When light comes, darkness is dispelled and the society can develop. That is the task at hand. With Port Harcourt being nominated UNESCO World Book Capital 2014, the world now has its eyes on this city and we must stand up to the call to be a beacon to the world.

This is a call to humanity, a call to you and me. Don’t look behind you, there is no one there to take on the challenge. The challenge is thrown to you and me. We must work together to show the world that we are indeed a reading and thinking people.

In 2005, I quoted the saying that if you want to hide something from a ‘black’ man, hide it in a book. I don’t agree with the designation ‘black’ but this is not the occasion to postulate my personal ideology. I will repeat what I said in 2005, in this hotel, and that is that by the time the Rainbow Book Club is through with its work, the world will have to find somewhere else to hide information from the ‘black’ man.

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Port Harcourt, UNESCO World Book Capital 2014.

Welcome to the 5th Garden City Literary Festival.

Welcome to the road towards a thinking society.

God bless the Garden City of Nigeria, God bless Nigeria!

Welcome!   

The Voice Diary: October 18, 2012

Today, there were three main events: the public presentation of Port Harcourt as the UNESCO World Book Capital, 2014; a "Role Model Reads to Children" event where Dame Alice Lawrence Nemi, the Honourable Commissioner for Education, Rivers State read to children;  and a book signing session. All events were open to the public. The first, that seemed to be the highlight of the day was the official presentation of Port Harcourt as the UNESCO World Book Capital City, 2014. In attendance were the Nobel Laureate for Literature, Professor Wole Soyinka; the Commissioner for Information, Rivers State, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari who represented the Governor of Rivers State, HE Governor Rotimi Amaechi; the Country Representative of UNESCO, Dr Joseph Ngo who represented Director General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova. Seated also were the guest writers for the Garden City Literary Festival, Doreen Baingana, Veronique Tadjo and Chibundu Onuzo. Also seated were writers from the city of Port Harcourt, Igoni Barrett, Chief Elechi Amadi, and Pa Gabriel Okara. 

The event which was co-hosted by Who Wants to Be a Millionaire host, Frank Edoho opened with music from the Rivers States Schools Orchestra. The group of young children also led the audience to sing the National Anthem, which seemed to take on a new meaning, as the second stanza ended "...Great lofty heights attain, to build a nation where peace and justice shall reign."

Throughout the event, it seemed that every speaker focused on how as a country, we can attain lofty heights by supporting the ideas that literature carries. Koko Kalango, the Festival Director gave the welcome speech; she talked about the motive behind the title of this year's festival "The broad theme is interesting because it allows examine the work of women who  are operating in the literary space- writers, publishers, book sellers, literary critics. We will also be looking at what women write about and how relevant female writing is to the modern world, also how women are portrayed in literature."

She emphasised the importance of reading to thinking, to the growth of any society. "A reading people is a thinking people. In a reading society, thinking society, when we see a broken down fuel tanker, we do not go there and take our buckets 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 set a blaze that can kill dozens of people in minutes." She ended her address by welcoming everyone to the Garden City Literary Festival. 

This was followed by the Governor's welcome address presented by Mrs. Ibim Semenitari who lauded the activities of the Rainbow Book Club, as a strategic partnership with the state government in shining the light of enlightenment on the darkness of ignorance in the state. She espoused the potentials that Port Harcourt held being the UNESCO World Book Capital City, 2014, and said that the state would support in the activities.  "Let me on that note welcome you to the beautiful city of Port Harcourt and to the city of Rivers, to a state that is full of possibilities," she said, concluding the Governor's address.

The Director General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova was represented by the country rep, Dr Joseph Ngu. He lauded the work of the Rainbow Book Club as being in alignment with UNESCO's work. He said "In April 2013, Port Harcourt would be the first African city to serve as the UNESCO World Book Capital City. Books are transmitters of knowledge. They promote mutual understanding and help fight ignorance. That's why UNESCO wants to help combat illiteracy. This is why UNESCO is engaged as the lead agency for the global education for all women... With Port Harcourt as world Book capital in 2012, Africa will be able to share its vision of books with the world. We can also address the many challenges encountered by the national stakeholders. The stakes are high and we know that much has to be done, to ensure its success. But rest assured that UNESCO will continue to work with all the parties concerned. Thank you for your attention." 

There was an interlude to the speeches with Pa Okara who read his poem "The Call of the River Nun."

Professor Wole Soyinka took to the podium to give his speech, which he drew largely from social realities, happenings in the world of science and poetry. It was an exercise in decoding the coded language of science and transmitting it in the language that we all understood. He commended the Rainbow Book Club's work, as a legacy, a war of the forces of light against the forces of darkness. He commented on the Aluu incident "worse of all is that it took place in front of people who watched. Silent participants...I believe quite frankly that this country is at war: between the intellects and against the forces of reprobate thinking." 

It is in fact a fight for our humanity, he says "If we surrender to these banal forces in the society, we cease to be human beings. All organisations that wage war against enlightenment wage war, not against the state, but against humanity itself. We have the responsibility to support and sustain such efforts, and that makes RBC an ally organisation. Despite the horrors that surround us, we are very much alive, very much productive. It is an internal and external message, we must continue to preach to our children if we have any hope at all and any faith in our humanity." On Port-Harcourt's selection as the World Book Capital City, he said "This is an honour, not only to the nation but to the African continent. This is recognition that something is going right in Nigeria despite negativity. "

The logo for Port-Harcourt as the World Book Capital, 2014 was was unveiled by writers of Port-Harcourt; Wole Soyinka and his wife, Mrs Folake Soyinka, Mrs Ibim Semenitari and the invited writers.  

Dr Obari Gomba reviewed the book Nigerian Literature: Coat of Many Colours. He had a lot to say, here is a summary "Mrs Kalango's book has a colourful front cover with fourteen pictures of Nigerian writers. Soyinka's photo is the biggest. Does it surprise you? There are other 36 writers on the back cover. They have all added value to the book, period. If you envy them with a bias, then run for office in the next elections. Fifty Nigerian authors are listed. There are fifteen women. This is less than the 35% affirmative action for women; it calls more women to write...The scope of the book is impressive and covers all the generations of Nigerian writers. Many young writers are represented. That is not too many to sing the success of our generation. We have people who have done two, three works and are listed here. It is good that Ms. Kalango has not fallen in the class that says that wait for us until we are grey." 

The event came to a close with the Vote of Thanks delivered by Chief Elechi Amadi.  Copies of the book were given to members of the audience, who hurried to some of the writers who were around for pictures and autographs.

President Jonathan congratulates Rainbow Book Club

‘The city of Port Harcourt, here in the heart of the Niger Delta, has just been declared the UNESCO World Book Capital City for 2014... The UNESCO Selection Committee chose Port Harcourt over ten other world cities... We welcome UNESCO’s recognition of our collective efforts to revive the reading culture. I would also like to congratulate The Rainbow Book Club led by Mrs. Koko Kalango, for their vision in moving this now historic bid for a Nigerian city, Port Harcourt, to be the World Capital for books, in the year of our beloved nation’s centenary’.

President Jonathan was speaking at the launch of the Bring Back the Book campaign in his home state of Bayelsa on July 12. He was represented by the Federal Minister for Education (State), Barrister Nyesom Wike. The President kicked off his campaign in December 2010 with a reading for children, in company of Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka. The campaign trail has since made stops in major cities such as Benin and Abuja. Its latest outing in Yenagoa the Bayelsa State capital, coincides with 2 notable achievements in Nigeria’s literary life: the emerging of our 4th winner of the Caine Prize for African Writing, Rotimi Babatunde, as well as the emergence of Port Harcourt as UNESCO World Book Capital for 2014.

Continue reading.

Port Harcourt: the Future of Books

The Nigerian Presidency, UNESCO, the Rivers State government and literary enthusiasts, have thrown their weight behind the Rainbow Book Club bid for Port Harcourt to be the UNESCO World Book Capital City in 2014. Koko Kalango, chairperson of the Port Harcourt World Book Capital City Preparation Committee and Founder of the Rainbow Book Club formally launched the city’s candidature in a press conference held at the Secretariat of the Ministry of Education, Port Harcourt on Friday 15 June 2012. Mrs. Kalango posited that winning the contest portends a ‘…window to a world of opportunities’, which is incidentally the theme of the bid. Port Harcourt is vying alongside 10 other countries.

In her welcome note, the honorable Commissioner for Education, Dame Lawrence-Nemi, remarked that Governor Amaechi, in his effort to promote a reading culture in the state has made education free and compulsory, she also spoke of the partnership between the state and the Rainbow Book Club to organize the annual Garden City Literary Festival. 

Renowned author, poet and 1979 winner of the Commonwealth Prize for Poetry, Pa. Gabriel Okara, in an emotional appeal called on the UNESCO Director and Country Representative, to insist that Port Harcourt wins the bid as this will result in the harvest of more writers.

UNESCO Director and Country Representative, Dr. Joseph Ngu also commended the exercise. “The commitment on the part of the founder to bring back the book to our own door steps through such laudable projects as this bid is very encouraging” he said. He reiterated that the essence of the contest is the overall benefit of building a lively book culture. 

The Bring Back the Book Campaign was represented by Ms. Molara Wood,  who read a letter of support from, Mr Oronto Douglas, Assistant to the President on Strategy, in which he pointed out ‘...the many laudable activities of the Rainbow Book Club key in very strongly  into the citizen driven nature...’ of the President’s Bring Back the Book campaign.

Secretary General of PEN Nigeria, Oluwafiropo Ewenla captured the general mood of those present when in response to a question asked by a journalist, he asked ‘Why not Port Harcourt? Books have a present, past and future, this (Port Harcourt) is the future of books!’

Port Harcourt Announces Bid for World Book Capital

From the bid website:

The title ‘World Book Capital’ is conferred by UNESCO to a city in recognition of its quality of programmes to foster the promotion of books and encourage reading. The scheme was launched in 2001 with Madrid as the first city to be given the title, followed by Alexandria in 2002 and New Delhi in 2003. Bangkok was most recently selected as the 2013 World Book Capital. Port Harcourt has submitted a bid to become World Book Capital in 2014.

The bid was submitted a team headed by Rainbow Book Club founder Koko Kalango, who's also the Director of the Garden City Literary Festival. For more information you can download the bid summary here.

CATE celebrates 13

Children and the Environment (CATE) is an NGO working with children and young people to build awareness on environmental matters. It also promotes sustainable ecotourism as a tool for poverty alleviation in targeted communities.

The celebration of the 13th anniversary of CATE's founding holds tomorrow, Saturday 16th June, 2012 at the CORA office, 1st Floor, 95, Bode Thomas Street, Surulere, Lagos.

The CATE Team was at GCLF last year. Led by author Sola Alamutu, they took 100 children, (fifty primary school and fifty secondary school students) through a three-day series of creative writing, arts and drama workshops on the theme "Reading and Leading." At the conclusion of the workshops the GCLF Director Koko Kalango presented over 200 students with a bag of books sponsored by the Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency, headed by Noble Pepple.

Koko Kalango: For the Love of Books

On Sunday, June 3rd, 2012, ThisDay Newspapers published a piece (on pages 78 and 79) titled "For the Love of Books", which focused on Rainbow Book Club's book reading on May 28 to encourage reading among children. The Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, read to public primary school children  in the Enuoha Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The article was also about Koko Kalango's work with the Garden City Literary Festival and the Rainbow Book Club. Below are excerpts.

On the Origin of the Name "Rainbow Book Club"

"Over time, the sign  of the rainbow has been used by different people to designate different concepts. But it has its origin in the Bible. The rainbow was given by God as a sign of promise. All the work that I do comes under the name as a reminder that I am ultimately accountable to God."

On RBC's Significance

"The book club's visit to schools, has, meanwhile, begun to yield results. A boy in one of the schools was once moved to tell a story of how reading had changed his life. A flurry of emails also came from university undergraduates, who were in secondary school when they attended the reading programmes. Keeping in touch with RBC was their way of saying "Thank You."

RBC's Ultimate Goal

"The book club's ultimate goal is to change the society through changing the mindset of its citizens. And this is possible through the love of reading. We also hope, as a long-term goal, to change the entire continent."

The festival is scheduled to hold between October 15-20, 2012. Keep those days open.