Volume 1, Issue 1

June 1999

Literary Society Debuts
 by Victor Anoliefo

A new literary organization has been formed in the federal capital territory. Tagged, Abuja Literary Society (ALS) the organization aims to advance the cause of books, arts and writing in the nation's capital city. Rising from the ashes of the now monribund Authors in Abuja (AIA), the ALS will help to promote literary activities especially among the younger generation. Speaking recently at the World Book and Copyright Day ceremony marked in Abuja, a representative and co-founder of the society Dr Ike Anya explained that the society was to embark on a survey of secondary school students in the FCf in order to identify barriers to a better reading culture and to enumerate the reading needs of the students. As a first step in this direction, the society distributed questionnaires to students who attended the ceremony. The questionnaire session was aimed at obtaining and collating data on the reading needs of secondary school students in the Federal Capital Territory.

Other activities slated by the society include, monthly reading sessions, outreach programmes, Abuja Literary Day, drama/musical sketches, literary competitions, seminars etc. The, British Council, Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) and Abuja Literary Society (ALS) jointly organized the World Book and Copyright Day ceremony. Other features at the ceremony were a presentation by the National Copyright Commission, book exhibitions and  inauguration of the FCT Copyright Committee.