* “My goal is to focus on crafting stories for global audiences inspired by my Ugandan heritage. Set primarily in East and Southern Africa, my stories aim to illuminate the everyday and diverse experiences of African children, while celebrating human universality.” says Nansubuga Nagadya Isdahl on Mater Mea. And with its celebration of both the […]
April 25 Poet of the Day is Kwame Dawes. Born in Ghana, Kwame Dawes later moved to Jamaica and spent most of his childhood and early adult life there. In addition to poetry, Kwame also writes fiction, nonfiction and plays. Read about this multitalented artist here:
Additional resources about Kwame Dawes:
Poets.Org: http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/2118, http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/22007
Poetry Archive: http://www.poetryarchive.org/poetryarchive/singlePoet.do?poetId=17247
Poetry Foundation: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/kwame-dawes
PBS: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/poetryeverywhere/uwm/dawes.html, http://www.pbs.org/newshour/art/poet-kwame-dawes-remembers-uncle-kofi-awoonor-with-reading-of-the-weaver-bird/
Calabash Interview: http://www.nyu.edu/calabash/vol5no1/0501115.pdf
Kickstarts Fund for African Poetry: http://www.dailynebraskan.com/arts_and_entertainment/article_db86abbe-0b67-11e2-88e2-001a4bcf6878.html
YouTube Interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puv51J7RBXo When Disaster Strikes (Haiti): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DsSpTUQuSg, Poetry reading: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yx5Vohf5rW0
I stumbled on this post and want to share the link here.
Walter Dean Myers was recently appointed the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature by the Library of Congress. He is an excellent choice for this position. He is a prolific writer of children’s and young adult books, and he relates very well to children and young adults. I believe Myers will be very influential and successful in this role. I wish him Godspeed. For more information on this announcement, click on LOC.
Another person championing for literacy and books is Yohannes Gebregeorgis. A native Ethiopian, he co-founded Ethiopia Reads, a philanthropic organization committed to bringing literacy to the children of Ethiopia. He has a facebook page so you can learn more about him and his organization.
I’m sure there are more well-known “ambassadors” or “champions” for literacy. If you know of some, please feel free to let me know. However, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention public librarians, library media specialists, teacher-librarians, educators, and others who promote reading and literacy. Each time you read a story, or suggest a book to a reader, you are an ambassador for literacy and reading. Whether or not your name is mentioned in a local or national paper, just know that you are making a difference in the life of a child or young adult. Keep up the good work!
The CamaraIfe Maktaba 