Tanzania: Minister Drums for Reading, Writing Culture

THE Zanzibar Minister for Tourism and Heritage Simai Mohamed Said recently graced the launch of a novel book entitled “Tea with Ms Tanzania” here, where he underlined the importance of raising reading habit and writing books in the public.

Mr Said informed the gathering at the Stone TownSerena Hotel where the book by Mr Fayyaz Vellani was launched in a colorful ceremony, saying that if reading culture and writing of books are promoted, the country would be in a better position as regards to knowledge gain.

“Reading and writing culture should be encouraged at an early age, as it helps children in brain development, enhances imagination and provides a conducive learning environment for young people,” Minister Simai said at the ceremony also attended by some book writers’ analysts such as Mr Ahmed Rajab and Mr Ally Saleh.

Mr Rajab emphasized the importance of cultivating a reading nation to unlock opportunities that flow from a broadened understanding of the country and the world.

He advised Mr Vellani, the author of the book to get linked with higher learning institutions, mainly the State University of Zanzibar (SUZA), where he can contribute knowledge about book writing.

Mr Vellani serves as a lecturer in Critical Writing at the University of Pennsylvania.

He is a Hill College House Fellow and a faculty mentor for the College House Research Fellows programme. He is also a visiting research associate at University College London. Briefing the audience about his fiction book novel, Mr Vellani, says the book is about Ms Gulnar Jaffar letters to her estranged son Zain in Glasgow, after the death of her husband in London.

These letters describe Tanzania in 1960s from being caught up in mutinies, adding that the fraught atmosphere of postcolonial East Africa has shaped their mother-son relationship.

Mr Vellani says he is happy to have family links with Zanzibar/Tanzania and after writing positively about Africa and Tanzania, particularly Dar es Salaam, adding that he plans to write more about Zanzibar.

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