To our new Writers; Welcome Home

By Desmond Boi

Esteemed guests, members of the Writers Guild Kenya Community, our new writers, ladies and gentlemen, Good Afternoon.

We are gathered here today for such a special occasion, one that the Writers Guild Kenya Community holds so dear and salient. I’ll first of all wish to thank you all for your presence here today; it means a lot to us and we appreciate.

My brief remarks on this remarkable day are based on the fact that writers are so powerful individuals and it is through their nurturing that their influence can impact the world for the better. You realize that the rapid evolution of the world today has changed the writing culture from the ancient publications that highly leveraged and amplified the authors’ voices, thanks to the rich reading culture that manifested in then; and now writing is dramatically taking a different twist altogether. The ingredients of thriving in your writing as an upcoming writer keeps taking different shapes and guises. As such, it has become imperative that, as writers motivated by various positive messages for the world, we package ourselves in tandem with the needs of our time.

For more than three years now, Writers Guild Kenya has proved concentrated effort to remain abreast of these dynamics and thus shaping the future of writing. It is a commendable endeavor that has continued to draw many like-minded readers, writers and champions of literally work, far and wide; to join in becoming part and parcel of this journey that we have come to dub as The Journey of Hope. As we welcome our new writers today, it is only prudent for me to let you know that you join a community with purpose in its undertaking, whose common agenda and aim is driven by values such as integrity, hard work, perseverance and an all-time mantle spearheaded by Gabriel Dinda, the CEO, of ‘Keeping on trying’.

While we have several writers in the world today. The unfortunate bit is that most of them write for the sake of writing, dissipating negative energy and contorted content, to all intents and purposes. As you join this noble and superbly enchanting community, be sure to shift your focus from that kind of baseless writing culture. Writers Guild Kenya is built on concrete values, aligning itself with the reputable attitudes and attributes, to see to it that we are able to inform the current generation and those to come with the knowledge that’s solid and insightful in nature, largely disruptive but equally transformative.

I will highly encourage you to participate in the events and activities organized by the team since it is through them that you will realize the potential of your talent and out of that knowledge actively purpose to grow it even further. It is through such engagements that we have seen many among us grab higher opportunities and do more for our communities than they had initially imagined. Writing for us is, therefore, a culture that goes beyond the fingers on the computer or the ink on paper; it is a lifestyle that seeks to not only shape your future but also that of those who interact with your work.

I am certain and confident that through the little steps Writers Guild has kept making consistently, we will be able to achieve more together and write more success stories following the headways we shall make in this platform. Most welcome is your contribution in terms of ideas and any other means you feel reasonable that you can make this team greater than it is now. And as they say, “when it boils down, it’s about embracing each other’s stories and maybe even finding the synergy to collaborate for the common good.” I heartily encourage our old members to gladly welcome the input of our new friends and encourage participation by all means possible.

As I draw to a close, it is my hope and wish that this becomes a takeoff for the unparalleled mastery of your craft in writing and ascendancy to greater heights in respect to having your voice heard in the wider globe and have the impact you desire in your hearts. Thank you again for your bold decision to become part of this young community and may it never be in vain that you joined hands in this manner. May God bless you an all the best!

Desmond Boi is the Chair of Board of Trustee of Writers Guild Kenya