The second day of the workshop recorded a turn-out of participants who were ready to take on the stage. But first a writer from Republic of Benin, Mr. Flourent Couao Zotti, who informed that he had authored 15 books, and that prose was his specialty, was granted audience by the participants. He spoke at length on poetry and spontaneity, and the fact that feelings was of importance to writing a poem, and that he was open to also learning from the workshop. Responding Dagga Tolar, pointed out that writers all over share the same concern, and that the divide into nationality, boundaries or race, cannot distort the fact of our common human experience, and so we all are open to also learn and share from him.
He then took his seat with the participants, and the workshop commenced with the drawing of mind-map on the theme of “reading” and “books”, subsequently scribbling, and editing commenced producing in all the following lines
Must I read my way to death
Through to the lost of my last breath
This strenuous task of a narrow path
Of dead books, stories, letters and hardened passages of faith
This unending pile of book covers
Like the persistent agony of lovers
………………………….Token night
………………………………..Religious light
Must I live like a church rat?
While other eat and grow fat
With the lines agreed on by all and “Reading from the Creek” suggested by Rueben Prince as a title, the participant drilled themselves through all of the art of spoken word performance, the import of mood, facial expression, tone and use of space on stage.
Geothe-Institute as usual treated all participants and facilitators with a sumptuous lunch while Alliance Francaise as always, created a very siren environment to make all the drillings from the Aj House Of Poetry fun to all of the participants.
Below are some of the pictures of the the workshop today.
