-As He Feats Liberian Authors in Intellectual Book Confab
Monrovia – Saturday, June 26, the evening was one of joy to remember for Ambassador Dr. Paul Sky Berry when he was bestowed upon an honor for his humanitarian sacrifices to Liberians of all echelons.
Dr. Berry, who is founder and CEO for the Faith Foundation Liberia (FFL), got his awards from one important section of Liberia’s intellectual community — Liberian authors.
The honor was presented to him at an intellectual book conference, which he (Dr. Berry) had organized to feature accomplished and emerging Liberian writers to showcase their works and to get acquainted.
The confab brought together fiction and nonfiction writers, journalists, artists, poets, publishers, professors, teachers, students, and literacy advocates for 24 hours of professional conversation in the literary hall of Dr. Berry’s Faith Foundation in the ELWA Community, Paynesville.
Dr. Berry, himself an accomplished author, displayed more than five of his published books and announced that it is his dream that on his 70th birthday, he will display his 50th book.
One of his published books that caught the attention of the audience is his latest piece, The Lead to Impactful Leadership, a bestseller. It was published in March 2021, and it is currently being distrusted worldwide on Amazon, iBook, Google bookstores and most international book distribution platforms. Other books written by Dr. Berry include Strategic Thinking for Management and Leadership Success, The Benefit of Falls & Failures, Resisting Against the Failed Systems, Running Away to The Unexpected and Quality Industrial Safety Management Tools.
Most of the proceeds from his books are used toward humanitarian and education projects in Liberia and other parts of Africa.
His hope is that Africans will work smartly and keep praying for God’s mercies to free their continent from these difficult circumstances.
His conferences are always open to the public. Due to COVID-19, this year’s conference also took place with few attendees in person and others joining from around the world via zoom.
Before the conference, which was probably the first to be organized in Liberia, Dr. Berry told this newspaper that it is part of his foundation, partners, and family’s way of identifying with intellectual Liberians during these challenging times. “We want to engage more people to write books and tell stories that will transform and positively contribute to building a strong educational system,” Dr. Berry stated.
According to him, his vision is to continue to mentor writers, authors and the intellectual community. “That way we can collectively build a culture of writing and reading to transform lives,” he added.
Each of the other accomplished Liberian authors, who were present at the conference, were allowed to make presentations on their authorships and why and how they were inspired to write what they wrote in their books.
Notably among the authors present was Dr. Syrulwa Somah, President of Harbel College. Dr. Somah, who lived more than 40 years in the US and taught in some of that nation’s higher institutions of learning, has written many books on Liberia, including some of its indegenies– the Bassa people. For his intellectualism, he was bestowed upon by Dr. Berry a “Legacy Award.”
At the end of the conference in which the audience was allowed to interact with these authors, each of the authors were presented awards either as emerging, creative or accomplished authors.