21-year-old Daniel W. Garteh, Jr., in his third year of studying Chemistry at the State-owned University of Liberia (UL), has won the First-Prize of the an Essay Competition. He received two hundred United States dollars as the prize for the First- P
Young Scholars of Liberia Thrill Hundreds with Poems For Peace frontpageafricaonline.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from frontpageafricaonline.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Award-Winning Poet Cherbo Geeplay: Neo-colonialism A Cause of Concern in Places like Liberia
Award-Winning Poet Cherbo Geeplay: Neo-colonialism A Cause of Concern in Places like Liberia
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As a poet, Geeplay’s works are rooted in tradition, transcending the particular to reach into the universal, thus becoming serious literature, powerful and relatable to all.
Thirteen years of civil conflict nearly destroyed the small West African nation of Liberia in the late 20th century. The period of reconstruction that followed in 2003 has surprisingly resulted in an explosion of local literature, some of it world-class in quality. A nation destroyed by war has suddenly produced writers of world-renown and hope for its literature lies on the horizon. “Usually wars or crises provide a new germination, if you will, like a forest that burns down and where new vegetation sprouts,” notes Liberian poet, Cherbo Geeplay. Such a phenomenon is taking place in Liberia today.
Who is Cherbo Geeplay and where was he born?
I am an African who takes pride in his origins. I consider myself as a pan-Africanist, a Garveyite in that respect, and a great admirer of Edward Wilmot Blyden. I come from humble beginnings, like most of my fellow citizens. I was born in Pleebo, Liberia, where my dad worked for the Firestone Rubber Company as a teacher. Both of my parents hailed from River Gee. Most of my time growing up was lived in the southeastern part of Liberia. My origins are a beautiful Grebo story of salt fish, coconut, farina, cassava, dry rice, pepper soup, fufu, and palm butter, but also of vibrant village life laced with African traditions and urban culture. I come from both of these worlds, deeply rooted in my customs but a modern man in so many ways. These are the mores that make me who I am.