“The Pen v The Tyrant” Hits Book Market

A dedicated Gambian writer Saul thinks it was about time to publish a collection of his opinion articles in a book form. Saul Saidykhan, a native of Jarra Kani-kunda in the Lower River Region, spent his invaluable time to make Yahya Jammeh and his enablers to accept the fact that “the ink of a writer is mightier than the sword of a soldier.” He wrote and wrote until Dictator Jammeh lost his crown. Virginia based Saul is still married to writing, calling it “my first love.” In fact, Saul’s seriousness in the business of writing is evidenced by the creation of www.mantankara.com.

After more than two decades of writing articles for the media at home and abroad, Saidykhan now thinks the time is ripe to publish selected dozens of his opinions, and commentaries over the Jammeh years. The Pen v The Tyrant represents the substantial number of views Saul has expressed in writing in different fora over the past two decades.

Mr. Saidykhan provides a clue on the criteria he uses to select the book’s content. “The articles are selected based on their relevance to my quest to counter and expose the role and dangerous narrative or spin Yaya Jammeh and his enablers routinely engaged in to hoodwink gullible Gambians while he was in office. Where possible and logical, an attempt is made to arrange the material chronologically. Otherwise, the book is theme-driven to enhance readability. Some articles are edited for space, and updated to reflect subsequent corrections footnoted on them or recollections. All errors or oversight are unintended, and the responsibility of the author,” Saul writes.