Brothers in art

摘要

AS DUSK FALLS, Manuel da Costa scans the university garden for an unoccupied plastic chair. He shakes a student's hand, waves at a politician and winks at a playwright as a meeting of Guinea-Bissau's only writers' club begins. Since October 2013 an eclectic mix of around 30 writers and literature enthusiasts have gathered every month in Bissau, the country's capital, to hear new work, debate the latest political crisis, and gossip. "I was shy at first, but then I got used to reading out poetry and expressing my feelings," says Mr da Costa. For its members, the Guinea-Bissau Writers Association is a rare chance to hone and promote their craft.