Dear Member and Friend,

Another year is drawing to a close and I would like to take a moment to say thank you for your membership of our dear Association. Again, we have faced a difficult year. However, the cordiality, support and encouragement you have given me and my colleagues in the National Executive Committee have been amazing. Our donors and friends have inspired us to achieve extraordinary results in so many ways. It is time to reflect and say thank you for their support.

A number of programmes and projects were rolled-out this year: GAW Sunday, our monthly literary variety programmes were held; GAW website and bookselling shopping platform, AdinkraScrolls, were developed and launched on February 15. The launch of this platform played a pivotal role as a one-stop place to sell and shop for Ghanaian and African centered literature. “Read-A-Ghana-Book Month” events were held
throughout March. Scheduled writing workshops such as the following were organised to sharpen our skills: “Memoir Writing Workshop,” “Screen Writing Workshop,” “Workshop on Narrative Drive,” and “Writing in Indigenous Languages.” “Creative writing for social change: Re-dream a just world,” was organised under the auspices of the International Women Writers Guild (IWWG) from January 27 to February 17. Our
statutory General Meetings were held in every quarter; NEC & Regional Executives Meetings were also organised for NEC to familiarise itself with activities in the regional branches. The following international writers’ days were marked: “International Mother Language Day,” on February 21; “International Children’s Book Day,” on April 2; “World Book and Copyright Day,” on April 23; “International Literacy Day,” on September 8; and the “International African Writers Day,” on November 7. The 1st GAW Distinguished Authors and Personalities Series was held and featured Ms. Elizabeth Ohene in conversation with Mr. Kwaku Sakyi-Addo. GAW Welfare Fund was created within the year to provide additional benefits and relief to its members during, both, good and challenging times of life. The Association organised particularly engaging virtual workshops and panel discussions as part of the GAW Book Festival (GAWBOFEST) on September 20 and 21. The GAW Annual Literary Awards was the last event to be held in the year on December 16. We have been able to achieve all these through your support, encouragement and pieces of advice.

It is our desire to bring to you in 2022, very invigorating programmes and projects. The highlights of these are: a number of events to commemorate the 65th year of the Association in March, the launch of the 6th GAW Literary Awards in February and subsequent marking in November. The GAW Young Writers Forum will be organised in a large scale. This initiative is aimed at bridging the gap between the seasoned and young/early-stage writers by providing the latter with linguistic world view, cultural memory and identity, aspects of folklore, religion, among others. Our anthology project will be completed in 2022. Opening of nominations for election of officers for our dear association will be in April. Congress will be held in May. We shall also be reaching out to some of you to support specific projects and programmes of the Association.

I’m excited to look ahead to the New Year and the new opportunities we will share together. On behalf of everyone at NEC and the Secretariat, we wish you and your loved ones all the very best for the end of the year and a pleasant 2022.

The Secretariat will be closed for the holidays starting on Thursday, December 23, 2021, to Monday, January 10, 2022. Our website, www.gaw.org.gh, and other social media platforms will continue to post information over the break period. All incoming emails via admin@gaw.org.gh will be followed up throughout the festive period, but expect delays in servic

With best wishes,

Francis GBORMITTAH
President, GAW

December 23, 2021.