GAMWRITERS

By Dr Pierre Gomez

In The Gambia, like in other countries, the press has permitted Gambian literature to take its first steps by giving the opportunity to many people to get recognized through the publication of relatively short texts (poems, short stories, articles). The press has therefore served as a directly active agent for the birth and development of Gambian literature.

Ndaanan (1971 – 1976), meaning “an accomplished artist”, was purely a literary magazine. It was and still remains the literary forum whose ambitions have never since been equalled. In its first editorial, Dr Lenrie Peters clearly stated: “The aim of this bi-annual is to stimulate literary activities of all kinds and to provide an outlet (though I hope channelled) for the seething Gambian talents (...) so that Ndaanan will become a comprehensive publication of the total literary activities of Gambians.”[1]

This magazine was the creation of a group of young Gambians, under the direction of the poet-surgeon Dr Lenrie Peters, who returned to the country after many years of studies in Sierra Leone and Great Britain. Along with him were the late Charles Jow, the dramatist Gabriel Roberts, Hassum Ceesay, Swaebou Conateh, Marcel Thomasi, Margaret Ndow, Dr Wally Ndow, the poet, Hassan Jagne and several others.

This journal was published twice every year (March and September) to start with and later in one volume per annum, each edition containing about a hundred pages. Considered as the laboratory for young artists, Ndaanan was able to reveal creative young Gambian writers, such as Swaebou Conateh and Gabriel Roberts. Thus, if the former used the poems featured in this magazine to publish his second collection Blind Destiny, the latter made use of this literary space to prepare a book on Senegambia which he published later in the USA in 1986 entitled The Goosie Ganderan Myth.

In six editions, this magazine unveiled the talents of 66 authors, out of whom 57 are Gambians. One hundred and nineteen poems, 30 stories, 10 plays and 24 essays or articles were published.

Ndaanan was also a school, especially for the youth.