Feb 13: General Murtala Muhammad and my world of books

School made an impact on this writer and notably too, the head-teacher at R.C.M Primary School, Koko in the then Mid-West State, in the decade of the 1970s. He was Mr. Aiyemobuwa and I remember good old H.M today for his very clean and most legible hand-writing. Such fine print! For a long time, I wanted to write like him. The verdict of the jury came out a long time ago: I did not make the mark.

But school was not always about fine writing. Before this had come desire, the sheer basic desire to wake up in the morning with the older kids, pick up your own slate and chalk, wear those magical clothes and go with them to the place they disappeared to daily, only to come back with stories of the exploits that had gone on behind you. But Papa kept saying you were not of age, as evidenced by the fact that your hand could not overstretch your head onto your ear. Now that was not fair!

Papa's transistor radio. Next to the copies of Observer and Daily Times that came into the house now and again (later Drum magazine was added), the small battery-powered gadget was our authoritative window to news of the world. And it was on it on that fateful February 13 day that we heard news of the Dimka coup and the tragic death of the second Nigerian leader that I grew up to be conscious of: General Murtala Ramat Muhammad. 

I remember that day as if it was yesterday, as Papa lay on the reclining chair under the lemon tree and was himself jolted by the martial music that was heralding news of the coup d’etat in faraway Lagos. Quiet, he shouted. And from both his tone and facial expression, we all knew something was amiss. We had passed that road before. With General Gowon in July 1975.

Even more than tales of coups and coupists, a writing culture begins with a story culture. For this writer, it goes back to the occasional visits of Olemajogume, the wizened old man, who would call on Papa now and again and on those visits ask me how school was going.

excerpted from 'Nigerian Book and Print Culture: Reflections of a participant-observer' by Richard Mammah (unpublished)

Building on the reading momentum

The National Reading Week as we conceive presently - and please do feel free to make any inputs and suggestions to improve this schedule - would involve a week of activities in support of the reading culture in Nigeria.
The dates are April 23-29 (and this incorporates the UNESCO World Book Day) and the theme is 'the joy of reading.'
On Day 1, Monday, April 23, we plan an opening event, an 'authors/celebrities reading colloquium.'
For Days 2-4, April 24-26, we plan a training workshop for reading teachers/instructors at the primary and secondary school levels with resource persons to be drawn from the Reading Association of Nigeria, faculties of education, etc.
Days 5-7 are for joining events convened by like-minded individuals, groups and organisations. Provided the input is about reading, we will adopt it in the overall format. Some other organisations that are planning their own activities in this mould include Options Bookshop, Ibadan and Debonair Bookshop, Lagos which are both planning events for their shops on Saturday, April 28. In addition, the writer Chuma Nwokolo would be hosting a reading at Asaba another writer/publisher, Dilibbe Onyeama is likely to host another in Enugu.
 Thanks so much for your support and encouragement.

Please direct enquiries to: richard.mammah@gmail.com

National Reading Week: An event whose time has come

When we commenced arrangements to inaugurate a functional and rejuvenated National Reading Week programme several weeks back, we were not too sure of how everything would play out. Overall, we still are not.

But we are encouraged.

We are encouraged that from across the length and breadth of this country, people are standing up to be counted. From Ibadan to Asaba, Enugu to Abuja the groundswell of interest and support has been most remarkable.

Volunteers are signing up across the country, schools are taking up their spots in the motivational schools segment of the package and publishers are throwing in their bit.

The bookselling community has also been wonderful. Several are, at their own expense, organizing joining events that would help make the splash and call in the sustained attention to things books that is at the core of the event.

We would equally not forget the reading teachers and literacy instructors that are playing a major role in the activities for the year. They have truly been most wonderful.

The dates once again are April 23 to 30 and the breakdown of activities include a readers/celebrities/students reading colloquium, a training workshop for reading instructors/teachers, motivational sessions at school assembly grounds, an online story-writing project and reading sessions at bookshops and community centers

Which now leaves us with you, yes you. There is some place for you in the entire programme and the best way for you to find this is to send us a mail ASAP. Use this line: richard.mammah@gmail.com

Thank you for being there for us, for our nation and our people in these times where very clearly, the reader is king. You are most welcome.