The third annual Amir Book Awards took place on Saturday at founder Amir Yaya Sillah’s residence in Kotu. A total of 147 participants from seven different schools in the Greater Banjul Area took part in the competition.
At the award ceremony, Amir Sillah distributed cash prizes totaling D46,800 among 39 winners to promote local literature.
The award is part of the Al Karaama Society’s vision to effect “a paradigm shift from a common culture to a higher culture through reading and research”.
The book award was initiated in 2022 by Amir Yaya Sillah and it primarily aims at promoting reading and research in The Gambia, with particular emphasis on Gambian literature.
Speaking at the event, Amir Sillah said reading and research are the keys to building a productive society and therefore to reduce poverty, illiteracy, conflict, and disease in Africa, people must read more and research often.
According to him, this is the only solution to Africa’s problems.
Other speakers at the event included Michael Secka, a retired curriculum developer, who thanked Amir Sillah for his outstanding contributions to promoting high-quality education in The Gambia through literature and training.
Alasan Ceesay, a Gambian businessman based in the UK, also called on Gambians to emulate Amir Sillah’s efforts to support national development. He added that self-esteem, quality education, and hard work are vital to individual success. He inspired the audience with his personal story, sharing how he rose from humble beginnings to become a successful businessman. Ceesay also recounted some of the difficulties he encountered as a child, which were truly inspiring to the students.
The Amir Book Award is expected to continue next year, with Amir Sillah looking to include other regions in the country.
