By Nvasekie N. Konneh
Recently, our fellow literati, Dennis Jah, asked a simple question: How many books by Liberian authors have you read? As a follow up or answer to that question, he said, "You can start today. He listed the books he has read. According to him, “This list is not in any specific order; I just picked 20 off the top of my head."
In my opinion, when Dennis asked that question and presented 20 books he has read, he meant to provoke Liberians in general and Liberian writers in particular. How many books written by your fellow Liberian writers have you read? As a challenge to Liberians in general and Liberian writers in particular, one would have expected them to have come out with the list of Liberian books they have read. Instead of listing the number of Liberian authored books they have read, some came out accusing the man of bias for not listing their books. Or should we say they misunderstood the question? The fact that these writers could not answer the question with any list of their own but accused the man of “bias” because he did not list their books exposed them as people who only care about themselves. How many of them would take their time to read, review or even mention anything about any book written by their fellow Liberians or even to acknowledge them? This lack of interest only in other people’s works but our own is the reason Liberian literary space is so stagnant. We can only be selfish if we are expecting that someone will talk about our works while keeping silent on other people’s works. It doesn’t work that way. We all have to push each other up.
Until recent years, one would have been fair to say that Liberia is a literary desert land, a place with no literary activities. In that regard, it is important for us to acknowledge the efforts of folks like Othniel Forte, a Liberian publisher and book promoter. Since 2015, Mr. Forte, who shares his time between Liberia and Thailand, has been organizing literary events such as Monrovia Read. He has organized literary festivals and launched books written by Liberian writers. His most recent book launching includes those of Vamba Sherif’s The Emperor’s Son, and William Nyenue’s “Mitigating the Legacies of a Mismanaged Vision: The Case of Liberia” and many others. So when it comes to promotion of books by Liberian authors, Forte has to be honorably mentioned. Not only that, he has a book store, Forte & Kpoto Bookstore/Café where he conducts literary activities such as readings and workshops. One of his latest efforts is “Letters from Sacepea” by Hon. Musa Hassan Bility whose publication is his latest effort.
Now back to Dennis Jah. I see his question in the same light. As an author himself of several books, including the Foundational Words of Liberia, Dennis is very passionate about Liberian writers and their works. As a blogger, not only has he listed at least 20 Liberian books, he also has a selection of 100 books written by Liberian authors from the birth of Liberia up to present. His efforts deserve serious attention and commendation. Besides his blogging about Liberian literature, Dennis also has Liberian Literary Hour on his Focus on Liberia talk show which is hosted by Professor Dr. K. Moses Nagbe and Professor Jackie Sayegh. These two writers and educators discuss Liberian authors and their works weekly on Focus on Liberia.
In my response to Dennis's question, below is the numbers of Liberian authored books I have read. Not only have I read these books, I have reviewed some of them and interviewed some authors. Among the books I have reviewed in the past include "One Saturday in August," by Dr. K. Moses Nagbe, Behind God's Back by Dr. H. Boima Fanbulleh, Djinn by Sang Kromah etc.
Here are my list of the books written by Liberian writers I have read from cover to cover.
1. Murder in the Cassava Patch, Bai T. Moore
2. Money Doubler, Bai T. Moore
3. Why Nobody Knows When He Will Die, Wilton Sankawulo
4. The Rain and the Night, Wilton Sankawulo
5. Sundown at Dawn, Wilton Sankawulo
6. The Road to Romeo, Dr. K. Moses Nagbe
7. One Saturday in August, Dr. K. Moses Nagbe
8. The Land of the Father, Vamba Sherif
9. The Emperor Son, Vamba Sherif
10. Voice of Trumpeter, Mae Azango
11. The Heart Man, Ophelia Lewis
12. Scary Dreams, Lekpele Nyamalon
13. A Dying People, Gibson Jerew
14. The House on Sugar Beach, Helen Cooper
15. Behind God's Back, Dr. H. Boima Fanbulleh
16. Rubber Republic, Theodore Hodge
17. Bound to Secrecy, Vamba Sherif
18. Djinn, Sang Kromah
19. Breaking the Silence, Anthology of Liberian Poetry, Dr. Patricia Wesley
20. Sadjio, Fatumata Nabie Fofana
21. Souless, Fatumata Nabie Fofana
22. Foundational Words of Liberia, Dennis Jah
23. In the Cause of the People, Selected Speeches, Prof. Dew Mason
25. Redemption Road, Elma Shaw
26. Liberian Democracy Ambushed, Dr. Tewroh-Wehtoe Sungbeh
27. Rape, Loot & Murder: LIBERIAN CIVIL WAR: A Journalist's Photo Diary, James Fasuekoi.
Among my next reading includes The Cavalla Fire by my fellow Pan African poet and writer, Cherbo Che Giply. Giply is very passionate about Liberian literature. On his Liberian Listener website, he often promotes Liberian arts, culture and literature. Since he moved to Liberia from Canada, he has been frequently writing about the Liberian arts, and culture. Another prolific writer is Omari Jackson. Both Giply and Jackson have been contributing regularly to the Public Agenda newspaper’s arts, and culture column. So I will be remiss if I don’t mention their names here. They have kept their contributions to my newspaper on the constant basis.
